The Tamil Nadu government has given in-principle approval to three expansion projects – Chennai Airport to Kelambakkam, Koyambedu to Pattapphiram and Poonamallee to Songuvarshathiram – and recommended them to the Union government for approval and financial assistance. | Image source: file image
The Tamil Nadu government is constantly urging the Union government to approve the Coimbatore and Madurai metro rail projects, Finance Minister Thangam Thenarasu said on Tuesday.
In his interim budget speech, he said that when the state sought the Center’s approval for detailed project reports (DPRs) for the two projects, the Union government sent back the proposals, stating that they were not approved since the population of Coimbatore and Madurai was less than 20 lakh.
The state government has given in-principle approval to three expansion projects – Chennai Airport to Kelambakkam, Koyambedu to Pattapphiram and Poonamallee to Songuvarshathiram – and recommended them to the Union government for approval and financial assistance, the minister said. He added that administrative penalty was also issued for the initial actions.
Work to develop a bus terminal with an integrated multi-modal transport hub and office complex at the site of Broadway Bus Stand was in progress at an estimated cost of ₹823 crore. He said that the Chennai Metro Rail Phase II project is progressing well.
Published – 17 February 2026 at 08:43 PM IST
