Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated development projects and laid foundation stones for works worth around Rs 13,000 crore across Tamil Nadu, covering metro rail, ports, highways, railway infrastructure and petroleum manufacturing.
The projects include the inauguration of a stretch of Chennai Metro Phase II, port infrastructure developments worth Rs 640 crore at Chennai and Kamarajar ports, and a Rs 517.19-crore container terminal at V.O. Chidambaranar (VOC) Port in Thoothukudi.
At VOC Port, the container terminal forms part of eight projects involving a cumulative investment of Rs 753.68 crore. The initiatives are aimed at expanding cargo-handling capacity, improving logistics efficiency and strengthening maritime infrastructure.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stones for National Highway projects worth around Rs 3,700 crore. These include a 36-km four-lane stretch of NH-744 between Vadugapatti and Therkuvenganallur, which is expected to improve connectivity to pilgrimage destinations, industrial hubs and commercial centres.
In road infrastructure, Modi inaugurated a 30-km four-lane section of the Madurai Ring Road, part of NH-744A, to divert through traffic away from the city and ease congestion. He also laid the foundation stone for a four-lane bypass at Thiruvarur on the Nagapattinam–Thanjavur section of NH-83 to improve traffic movement and regional connectivity.
Additionally, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited’s (CPCL) Rs 1,620-crore Group II/III Lube Oil Base Stocks (LOBS) project at its existing Manali refinery in Chennai.
The project will have a planned production capacity of 270,000 tonnes per annum and manufacture base stocks used in premium-quality lubricants. It is expected to reduce import dependence and strengthen domestic manufacturing capabilities.
