DMK workers protest in Coimbatore against Centre’s decision to return DPRs for metro projects.
Credit: X/@mkstalin
Chennai: On a day the DMK hit the streets over the issue, Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal termed as “unfortunate” Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin “politicising” and creating a “controversy” over return of the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) by the Centre for metro projects in Coimbatore and Madurai.
Lal, while referring to the issue that has now taken the expected political turn with Stalin himself accusing the BJP of “deliberately punishing” Tamil Nadu for ignoring the party electorally, pointed out the discrepancies in the DPRs.
He maintained that the Metro Policy 2017 which mandates 20 lakh population as a pre-requisite for building metro networks is a procedure designed to ensure that costly infrastructure projects such as Metro Rail Systems, generate maximum benefit for the public.
The ministry had on November 14 returned the DPRs to the Chennai Metro Rail Corporation (CMRL) citing that the population in both cities are less than 20 lakh as per the 2011 Census. On Wednesday, Stalin termed as a “disgraceful approach” and “distortion of federal principles” the return of the DPRs.
On Thursday, the DMK and its allies held a demonstration in Coimbatore condemning the Centre’s decision to return the DPRs.
“Rejection of metro projects for Coimbatore and Madurai; voter rights snatched through SIR, reduction in Tamil Nadu's constituencies through Delimitation, governor's high-handedness that disrespects the dignity of democracy, and attacks on Tamil language and Hindi imposition,” Stalin said in an X post.
By taking to streets on the issue, the DMK is clear it wants to milk every issue to project the Union Government and BJP as “anti-Tamil Nadu” with the crucial Assembly elections just months away.
Stalin has already dubbed the 2026 elections as “a fight between Tamil Nadu and Delhi (Centre)” and believes cultivating anti-BJP sentiments might help bury the anti-incumbency against his government.
The Assembly election is likely to be an intense four-cornered contest and the DMK wants to make the contest Stalin versus others.
In his rebuttal, Lal said Stalin has “ignored the magnanimous” sanction of the Union Government on October 3, 2024 to the Chennai Metro Phase-2 project at a cost of Rs 63,246 crore for a route length of 119 km. The approval came three years after the state government began implementing the project using its own funds.
The minister said for lesser route length in Coimbatore than in Chennai Metro system, a higher traffic projections as compared to Chennai have been given and the projected average trip lengths and speed differentials between road traffic and the metro, do not support the expectation of a modal shift of traffic to a metro system.
“As per DPR of Coimbatore, there is inadequate right of way at 7 metro station locations. The Comprehensive Mobility Plan of Madurai clearly stipulates that with current ridership, BRTS is justifiable,” he said.
The minister also alleged that the Tamil Nadu government has chosen not to use the benefit of PM e-bus sewa intended to provide 10,000 air conditioned e-buses in different cities.