Centre rejected metro plans for Coimbatore Madurai on ‘flimsy grounds

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Wednesday accused the Union government of rejecting the proposals to build metro rail networks in Coimbatore and Madurai on “flimsy grounds”.

On November 14, the Union Ministry of Housing Affairs returned the project proposals, stating that the population of the two cities, according to the 2011 Census, does not meet the criteria to build a metro network, reported The Hindu.

While Madurai has a population of 15 lakh, Coimbatore is home to 15.8 lakh residents, according to the last Census. The Metro Rail Policy, 2017, states that the population of a city needs to be 20 lakh or more to build a metro rail system.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Stalin said that the Union government “exists to serve people without bias”.

“Yet the Union BJP treats Tamil Nadu’s democratic choice as a reason to take revenge,” said the chief minister. “Pushing such a political custom, in which BJP ruled states get Metros for smaller Tier II cities while Opposition ruled states are deprived, is a disgraceful approach.”

The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader said that Tamil Nadu is the “land of self-respect”, and will not accept “distortion of federal principles”.

He also accused the Union government of attempting to stall the Chennai metro project, saying that the state government “overcame those malicious attempts”.

“With the same determination, we will secure the metro rail that Madurai and Coimbatore need for their future growth,” said Stalin. “Tamil Nadu will fight! Tamil Nadu will win!”

This came months ahead of the Assembly elections in the state, which are expected to be held in April or May 2026.

Stalin made the accusations on the same day that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Coimbatore to inaugurate the South India Natural Farming Summit.

He will also release the 21st instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, an income-support scheme for farmers.

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