Chennai: The ambitious metro rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai remain stuck in the initial notification stage, awaiting approval from the central government for nearly 19 months. The prolonged delay has ignited a major political controversy in Tamil Nadu, especially after revelations that similar projects in BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat were approved in a fraction of the time.

The Coimbatore metro rail project, first announced by the central government in 2012, remains on paper even after 14 years, while other cities like Kochi and Pune, announced around the same period, have operational metro systems. The current proposals, advanced by the DMK government, involve significant investments of Rs. 10,740 crore for Coimbatore and Rs. 11,360 crore for Madurai. The pr

See Full Page