Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in Chennai Sunday, has reportedly urged Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, the heads of the AIADMK, to work together for the victory of the alliance in the upcoming Assembly polls in Tamilnadu.
At Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Chennai, where the government function took place, Modi joined hands with Palaniswami and Panneerselvam and the trio raised hands in a gesture with a message.
While Palaniswami met Modi personally for 15 minutes, Panneerselvam, speaking at the event, said Tamilnadu got new projects because of Centre’s support and the Union government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is helping the State.
Modi on Sunday launched a slew of programmes, including passenger services in the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension project, and also handed over the indigenously designed and developed Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A) to the Indian Army.
Modi launched the projects through video-conferencing at a official event organised by Tamilnadu government at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor stadium.
“Numerous development works would launched that would add speed to fulfilling the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The projects will boost ‘Ease of Living’ for our citizens,” Modi tweeted in English, Malayalam and Tamil, before leaving for Chennai and Kochi.
After paying floral tributes to the portraits of late Chief Ministers MGR and J Jayalalaithaa at the dais, the Prime Minister inaugurated the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension, completed at a cost of Rs 3,770 crore, and commissioned the passenger services from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar.
The 9.05 km long extension would link North Chennai with the Airport and Central Railway Station.
He also inaugurated the fourth Railway line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu. The 22.1 km section laid at a cost of Rs.293.40 crore, traverses through Chennai and Thiruvallur districts and will ease out traffic from Chennai Port. This section connects the Chennai Port and Ennore Port and passes through major yards, providing operational flexibility for the movement of trains.