Centre scraps Tamil Nadu rail project, DMK refutes unwillingness claims
What's the story
A proposed railway project connecting Madurai and Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu was canceled, leading to a row between the state and the central governments.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Tamil Nadu government had communicated its decision not to pursue the project.
However, this has been vehemently denied by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), led by Chief Minister MK Stalin.
Accusation
DMK accuses Railway Minister of 'blatantly lying'
During his Chennai visit, Vaishnaw emphasized on state government cooperation for land acquisition and putting public welfare above politics.
The DMK Youth Wing accused Vaishnaw of "blatantly lying" and shared a letter from Stalin seeking funds for the project in August 2024.
State Transport Minister SS Sivasankar also denied any request to withdraw the project, claiming they had been pushing for its implementation.
Project background
Project history and expenditure details revealed
The railway project was first announced in 2011-12, with Southern Railway starting work in 2016.
By 2022, an 18km stretch of the planned 143.5km route was completed between Milavittan and Melmarudur at a cost of ₹324 crore.
The recent cancelation has brought these investments under scrutiny as the state and central governments continue their dispute over the project's future.
Funding dispute
Tamil Nadu CM criticizes Union government over funding
Stalin has slammed the Union government for ignoring Tamil Nadu by withholding essential funds for several schemes.
He accused Governor RN Ravi of being unable to digest the state's growth and alleged systematic violations of assembly rules by Ravi.
Stalin emphasized the financial challenges faced by Tamil Nadu due to unmet funding from the Centre for several schemes, including Samagra Shiksha and disaster relief efforts.