Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay sought early approval for new Metro projects and the unconditional release of Rs 5,100 crore in pending education funds from Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the inauguration of a Chennai Metro stretch on Sunday.
Speaking at the launch of the 15-kilometre Poonamallee Bypass to Vadapalani section of Chennai Metro’s Phase II, Vijay outlined key demands covering urban transport, school grants, and water infrastructure.
He urged the central government to expedite approvals for Chennai Metro’s Phase III to enhance regional connectivity. He also requested new metro transit systems for Coimbatore and Madurai, alongside a proposed interstate transit link connecting Hosur in Tamil Nadu to Bommasandra in Karnataka. During his address, Vijay acknowledged the inclusion of the Chennai-Bengaluru and Chennai-Hyderabad high-speed rail corridors in the recent Union Budget.
Turning to fiscal matters, the Chief Minister asked for the immediate disbursement of Rs 5,100 crore under the Samagra Shiksha education scheme without preconditions. This funding request follows an ongoing disagreement regarding the Centre's requirement for states to adopt the PM-SHRI schools initiative, tied to the National Education Policy 2020. Tamil Nadu continues to reject the three-language framework in favor of its established two-language policy, arguing that tying funds to the scheme infringes upon cooperative federalism.
Additionally, Vijay pressed for the execution of the Godavari and Cauvery river-linking initiative to balance water resources across the region. This follows his previous appeals for the central administration to classify the broader Godavari-Cauvery-Gundar water integration project as a national priority.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the new 15-kilometre transit section, constructed at an approximate expenditure of Rs 4,900 crore, and partook in a train journey alongside Vijay and Tamil Nadu Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar. After purchasing a ticket and speaking briefly with a station staff member, the Prime Minister boarded the train on Corridor 4 of the network's Phase II, which is designed to streamline travel between western suburbs and the urban core.
Commercial passenger operations for the newly opened stretch were scheduled to open later that afternoon, with regular daily timetables set to begin the following day. The inauguration coincided with a broader visit by Modi to launch and lay foundation stones for infrastructure developments exceeding Rs 13,000 crore in value.