Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Monday to invite him for the inauguration of a couple of key infrastructure projects, including the extension of Metro Rail Phase-I (Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar).
On Tuesday morning, the Chief Minister will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Mr. Palaniswami, who was accompanied by Fisheries Minister D. Jayakumar, requested the Home Minister to inaugurate the 9-km stretch between the two important places of north Chennai, constructed at a cost of ₹3,770 crore, and the Indian Oil Corporation’s Thoothukudi gas pipeline project (₹800 crore).
Cauvery-Gundar project
The Chief Minister pointed out that there were a few more projects, which were ready for laying of foundation stones.
Among them were the Cauvery-Gundar rivers link, costing ₹14,400 crore; the Grand Anicut extension, renovation and modernisation, at a cost of ₹2,640 crore, and the modernisation of the lower Bhavani project system at a cost of ₹934 crore.
The total cost of the five projects was put at ₹22,544 crore, according to sources in the government.
The meeting between Mr. Palaniswami and Mr. Shah lasted around 45 minutes.
This is the first meeting between the two after Mr. Shah’s visit to Chennai last November.
At an official event then, Mr. Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam had confirmed that the AIADMK’s alliance with the BJP would continue for the 2021 Assembly election.
On January 9, the AIADMK, at its general council, had again ratified Mr. Paneerselvam’s declaration of Mr. Palaniswami as its Chief Ministerial candidate. The BJP, which had earlier given the impression of being the deciding authority in announcing the Chief Ministerial candidate for the alliance, toned down its stand last week, when its national general secretary and prabhari (in-charge) for Tamil Nadu, C.T. Ravi, said the AIADMK, being the dominant constituent of the coalition, would choose the candidate.
Sources added that the Chief Minster and the Deputy Chief Minister were expected to declare open the renovated mausoleum for former Chief Minster Jayalalithaa, on the Marina, on January 27.
Published - January 19, 2021 01:27 am IST
