Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release Rs 5,110 crore in central funds due to the state under the Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme without conditions, prioritise the Godavari-Cauvery river-linking project and reconsider metro rail proposals for Coimbatore and Madurai.
Addressing Modi during his visit to Chennai, the chief minister outlined Tamil Nadu’s key demands concerning infrastructure, education funding and water resources, while welcoming the Centre’s development initiatives in the state.
The chief minister called on the Prime Minister to reconsider the proposed metro rail projects in Coimbatore and Madurai, citing their importance for the future development and economic growth of western and southern Tamil Nadu. “The Godavari-Cauvery linkage project represents important opportunity for augmenting water resources in southern states. “Under the SSA scheme, an amount of Rs 5,110 crore of the central share is due to Tamil Nadu.
“I thank the Prime Minister for announcing two high-speed rail corridors between Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Chennai in the Union Budget 2026.
I request the Government of India to release the amount without any conditionalities,” he said. “I request the Prime Minister to reconsider the proposal for the construction of the Metro Rail in Coimbatore and Madurai cities in view of the future development and economic growth of the western and southern parts of Tamil Nadu,” Vijay said. I request the Government of India to accord priority and take it up as a national project,” he said. These projects will surely benefit this region,” he said. “On behalf of the people of Tamil Nadu, I extend a warm welcome to the Prime Minister and extend thanks for the inauguration of Chennai Metro Rail project Phase 2 and also for inauguration, foundation and stone laying of various infrastructure projects,” Vijay said.
