Annamalai Accuses DMK of Submitting Flawed Metro DPRs to Blame Centre
Annamalai says DMK sent faulty DPRs on purpose.
Former Tamil Nadu BJP President K Annamalai has accused Chief Minister MK Stalin and the DMK Government of deliberately submitting technically flawed Detailed Project Reports for the Coimbatore and Madurai Metro Rail projects to ensure their rejection by the Centre and then exploit the issue politically. On Wednesday, he released the complete November 14 letter from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, claiming the state had selectively quoted only parts of it to shift blame onto the Union government.
The ministry’s detailed observations expose critical shortcomings in both proposals. For Coimbatore, it highlighted inadequate road widths — some stretches below 15 metres — that would necessitate massive property demolition for elevated corridors, already high existing traffic speeds that rival projected metro speeds, inflated daily ridership figures of 5.9 lakh against Chennai’s actual numbers, and an unrealistic three-year construction timeline.
For Madurai, the ministry reiterated that the city’s population of approximately 15 lakh (2011 Census) falls well below the 20-lakh threshold mandated by the 2017 Metro Rail Policy. It recommended a cost-effective Bus Rapid Transit System or enhanced bus network instead of an expensive metro, stating that current and projected ridership does not justify the investment.
Also Read: MK Stalin Accuses Centre of Denying Madurai and Coimbatore Metro Projects for Political Reasons
Annamalai condemned the DMK’s approach as a “deliberate attempt” to deny Coimbatore and Madurai modern mass transit while using the rejection for political mileage. He urged the state government to immediately rectify the deficiencies and resubmit credible proposals, emphasising that the people of both cities deserve efficient commuting options without further delay.
The BJP’s state unit and AIADMK leaders have joined the chorus, with the latter appealing directly to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to expedite the projects originally announced for Tamil Nadu’s development. As the war of words intensifies, the Tamil Nadu government has yet to respond to the detailed technical objections or Annamalai’s charge of intentional sabotage.
Also Read: AIADMK, BJP Demand Stalin’s Intervention as Omni Bus Strike Cripples Inter-State Travel
