Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, February 14, visited Chennai, Tamil Nadu, where he inaugurated several crores worth of projects. PM Modi first inaugurated the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension at a cost of Rs 3,770 crore. This 9.05 km long extension will link North Chennai with the airport and Central Railway Station.
He inaugurated the fourth Railway line between Chennai Beach and Attipattu. This 22.1 km section, laid at a cost of Rs 293.40 crores, traverses through Chennai and Thiruvallur Districts.
PM Modi also laid the foundation stone for the Discovery Campus of IIT Madras. The campus will be built in Thaiyur near Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs 1,000 crore in the first phase spread over an area of two lakh sqm.
The prime minister also paid tribute to the CRPF jawans who were killed in the terror attack in the Pulwama district of south Kashmir in February 2019.
"No Indian can forget this day. Two years ago, the Pulwama attack happened. We pay homage to all the martyrs. We are proud of our security forces and their bravery will continue to inspire generations," PM Modi said.
He added that the country's armed forces had shown time and again that they were fully capable of protecting "our motherland." The prime minister also handed over the homemade Arjun Main Battle Tank (MK-1A) to the Indian Army. The tank is manufactured by DRDO's Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment. Fifteen academic institutions, eight labs, and several MSMEs were also involved in the project.
PM Modi also hailed the framers of Chennai for record food grain production. "I want to appreciate the farmers of Tamil Nadu for record food grain production and good use of water resources. We have to do whatever we can do to conserve water. Always remember the mantra of 'Per drop, more crop," he stated.
After Chennai visit, PM Modi will also inaugurate a slew of projects in Kochi. He will dedicate to nation the Bharat Petroleum's Propylene Derivatives Petrochemical Complex at Kochi Refinery and Inland Waterways Authority's Roll-on/Roll-off vessels.
PM Modi will also inaugurate Cochin Port Trust's International Cruise Terminal, Cochin Shipyard's Vigyana Sagar, and campus for Marine Engineering Training Institute. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Mansukh L Mandaviya will also attend the event.