INDIA bloc flays Centre for returning proposal for Metro Rail project for Madurai, Coimbatore

Speakers at a protest meeting organised by INDIA bloc parties here on Friday flayed the Union Government for returning the proposal for Metro Rail project for Madurai and Coimbatore citing lower population.

Addressing the protesters, senior leader of DMK Pon Muthuramalingam said that the Union Government had not given the right reason for denying the Metro Rail project to the two major cities of Tamil Nadu.

He described as “fake argument” the Union Government’s basic criteria of 20 lakh population of the cities to qualify for getting Metro Rail projects.

Mr. Muthuramalingam wondered how the Union Government had given the nod for similar project to cities in northern India, like Patna and Agra, which had less than 20 lakh population.

Pointing to the BJP leaders’ argument that Agra was given an exemption from the criteria of 20-lakh population for its tourism attraction, he said that Coimbatore was known as the Manchester of South India which has got greater network with the world.

Madurai being one of the oldest cities as per the revealations of Keeladi archaeological excavation had several places of tourist, historical importance, including the Jain sites. Several researchers of history were repeatedly visiting Madurai for its historical significance, he said.

Stating that Madurai would get Metro Rail project for certain, he said that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin would not rest till the two cities got the mass rapid transportation system.

Madukur Ramalingam of CPI(M) recalled that the Union Government had betrayed Tamil Nadu with respect to archaeological excavation in Keeladi and in early construction of AIIMS in Madurai.

“That the BJP MLA, Vanathi Srinivasan, has said that Metro Rail Project in Coimbatore would be established upon AIADMK Government coming to power is only proving that the project was denied by Union Government not because of the size of its population,” he said.

Congress district president Karthikeyan said that the BJP-led Centre had denied funds for Samara Siksha Abiyaan to Tamil Nadu.

DMK district secretaries G. Thalapathi and S. Manimaran, MLAs M. Boominathan (MDMK) and A. Venkatesan (DMK) and representatives of VCK, SDPI, and other parties took part in the protest.