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PM dedicates to the nation and lays foundation stone of 11 projects worth over Rs 31,500 crore in Tamil Nadu

Published By : Admin | May 26, 2022 | 18:46 IST
“It is always wonderful to be back in Tamil Nadu. This land is special. The people, culture and language of this state are outstanding”
“The Tamil language is eternal and the Tamil culture is global”
“Modernisation and development is being done keeping in mind the needs of the future. At the same time, it will merge with local art and culture”
“The Government of India is fully focussed on building infrastructure that is top quality and sustainable”
“Government is working to achieve saturation level coverage for key schemes”
“We aim to achieve Garib Kalyan”
“As a close friend and neighbour, India is providing all possible support to Sri Lanka”
“Government of India is fully committed to further popularising Tamil language and culture”

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of 11 projects worth over Rs 31,500 crore in Chennai. These projects will boost infrastructure development, enhance connectivity and give an impetus to ease of living in the region. Governor of Tamil Nadu Shri R. N. Ravi, Chief Minister Shri M K Stalin, Union Minister Shri L Murugan were among those present on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed his happiness to be back in Tamil Nadu. “It is always wonderful to be back in Tamil Nadu. This land is special. The people, culture and language of this state are outstanding” he said at the outset. He said that someone or the other from Tamil Nadu is always excelling. He recalled hosting the Deaflympics contingent and said “this time it was India’s best performance in the tournament. Out of the 16 medals we have won, youngsters from Tamil Nadu had a role in 6 of those medals”.

Further commenting on rich Tamil culture, the Prime MInister said “the Tamil language is eternal and the Tamil culture is global. From Chennai to Canada, From Madurai to Malaysia, From Namakkal to New York, From Salem to South Africa, The occasions of Pongal and Puthandu are marked with great fervour”. He also informed that recently, at the Cannes Film Festival, son of the great soil of Tamil Nadu and Union Minister Thiru L Murugan walked the Red Carpet in traditional Tamil attire that made the Tamil people all over the world very proud.

He said that in the project inaugurated or laid the foundation stones of, a thrust on road connectivity is visible. This is so as it is directly linked to economic prosperity. He said that Bengaluru - Chennai Expressway will connect two major centers and 4 Lane double decker elevated road connecting Chennai Port to Maduravoyal will make Chennai port more efficient and decongest the city. The Prime Minister expressed his happiness that five railway stations are being redeveloped. This modernisation and development is being done keeping in mind the needs of the future. At the same time, it will merge with local art and culture. Madurai-Teni Railway Gauge Conversion Project, he said, will help the farmers as it will give them new markets.

The Prime Minister congratulated all those getting houses as a part of the historic Chennai Light House project under the PM-Awas Yojana. “This has been a very satisfying project as we started a global change.. And in record time the first project has been realized and I am glad that it is in Chennai”, he said.

The Prime Minister noted that the multi-modal logistic parks will be a paradigm shift in the freight ecosystem of our country. Each of these projects across various sectors will boost job creation and our resolve to be Atma Nirbhar, he said.

The Prime Minister said that history has taught us that those nations which gave topmost importance to infrastructure made the transition from developing to developed countries. The Government of India is fully focussed on building infrastructure that is top quality and sustainable, he said referring to both physical and coastal infrastructure. We aim to achieve Garib Kalyan. Our emphasis on social infrastructure indicates our emphasis on the principle of ‘Sarv Jan Hitaya and Sarv Jan Sukhaya’, he said. The Prime Minister said that his Government is working to achieve saturation level coverage for key schemes. Take any sector - toilets, housing, financial inclusion… we are working towards complete coverage. When this is done, there is no scope for exclusion, he added.

The Prime Minister remarked that the government has gone beyond what is traditionally referred to as infrastructure. A few years ago, he said, infrastructure referred to roads, power and water. Today we are working to expand India’s gas pipeline network. Work is happening on i-ways. It is our vision to bring high speed internet to every village.

The Prime Minister stressed that the Government of India is fully committed to further popularising Tamil language and culture. In January this year, the new campus of Central Institute of Classical Tamil was inaugurated in Chennai. The new campus is fully funded by the Union Government. He added that the 'Subramania Bharati Chair' on Tamil Studies at Banaras Hindu University was recently announced. He said that since BHU is located in his constituency, the joy was extra special.

The Prime Minister said Sri Lanka is passing through difficult times. I am sure you are concerned with the developments there. As a close friend and neighbour, India is providing all possible support to Sri Lanka. The Prime Minister recalled that he was the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Jaffna. The Government of India is undertaking numerous projects to assist Tamil people in Sri Lanka. These projects cover healthcare, transportation, housing and culture.

The Prime Minister concluded by reiterating the country’s collective resolve to fulfil the dreams of our freedom fighters during the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.

The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation five projects worth over Rs 2960 crore. The 75 km long Madurai-Teni (Railway Gauge Conversion Project), built at a project cost of over Rs. 500 crore, will facilitate access and give a boost to tourism in the region. The 30 km long third railway line between Tambaram - Chengalpattu, built at a project cost of over Rs. 590 crore, will facilitate running of more Suburban services, thus offering greater options and enhancing comfort for the travellers. The 115 km long Ennore-Chengalpattu section and 271 km long Thiruvallur-Bengaluru section of ETB PNMT natural gas pipeline, built at a project cost of around Rs. 850 crore and Rs 910 crore respectively, will facilitate supply of natural gas to consumers as well industries in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

The programme also witnessed inauguration of 1152 houses constructed as part of the LightHouse Project - Chennai, built at a cost of Rs 116 crore under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of six projects, being built at a cost of over Rs. 28,540 crore. The 262 Km long Bengaluru - Chennai Expressway will be built at a cost of over Rs. 14,870 crore. It will pass-through the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and help reduce travel time between Bengaluru and Chennai by 2-3 hours. The 4 Lane double decker elevated road connecting Chennai Port to Maduravoyal (NH-4), of about 21 Km in length, will be built at a cost of over Rs 5850 crore. It will facilitate round the clock approach of goods vehicles to Chennai port. The ​​94 km long 4 lane Neraluru to Dharmapuri section of NH-844 and 31 km long 2 lane with paved shoulders of Meensurutti to Chidambaram section of NH-227, being built at a cost of around Rs 3870 crore and Rs 720 respectively, will help provide seamless connectivity in the region.

The foundation stones for redevelopment of five Railway stations: Chennai Egmore, Rameswaram, Madurai, Katpadi and Kanyakumari, were also laid during the programme. This project will be completed at a cost of over Rs. 1800 crore, and is being undertaken with a view to enhance convenience and comfort of the passengers through provision of modern amenities.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone of a Multi Modal Logistic Park at Chennai worth around Rs. 1430 crore. It will provide seamless intermodal freight movement and also offer multiple functionalities.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 5th National Conference of Chief Secretaries in Delhi, earlier today. The three-day Conference was held in Pusa, Delhi from 26 to 28 December, 2025.

Prime Minister observed that this conference marks another decisive step in strengthening the spirit of cooperative federalism and deepening Centre-State partnership to achieve the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister emphasised that Human Capital comprising knowledge, skills, health and capabilities is the fundamental driver of economic growth and social progress and must be developed through a coordinated Whole-of-Government approach.

The Conference included discussions around the overarching theme of ‘Human Capital for Viksit Bharat’. Highlighting India's demographic advantage, the Prime Minister stated that nearly 70 percent of the population is in the working-age group, creating a unique historical opportunity which, when combined with economic progress, can significantly accelerate India's journey towards Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister said that India has boarded the “Reform Express”, driven primarily by the strength of its young population, and empowering this demographic remains the government’s key priority. Prime Minister noted that the Conference is being held at a time when the country is witnessing next-generation reforms and moving steadily towards becoming a major global economic power.

He further observed that Viksit Bharat is synonymous with quality and excellence and urged all stakeholders to move beyond average outcomes. Emphasising quality in governance, service delivery and manufacturing, the Prime Minister stated that the label "Made in India' must become a symbol of excellence and global competitiveness.

Prime Minister emphasised the need to strengthen Aatmanirbharta, stating that India must pursue self-reliance with zero defect in products and minimal environmental impact, making the label 'Made in India' synonymous with quality and strengthen our commitment to 'Zero Effect, Zero Defect.’ He urged the Centre and States to jointly identify 100 products for domestic manufacturing to reduce import dependence and strengthen economic resilience in line with the vision of Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister emphasised the need to map skill demand at the State and global levels to better design skill development strategies. In higher education too, he suggested that there is a need for academia and industry to work together to create high quality talent.

For livelihoods of youth, Prime Minister observed that tourism can play a huge role. He highlighted that India has a rich heritage and history with a potential to be among the top global tourist destinations. He urged the States to prepare a roadmap for creating at least one global level tourist destination and nourishing an entire tourist ecosystem.

PM Modi said that it is important to align the Indian national sports calendar with the global sports calendar. India is working to host the 2036 Olympics. India needs to prepare infrastructure and sports ecosystem at par with global standards. He observed that young kids should be identified, nurtured and trained to compete at that time. He urged the States that the next 10 years must be invested in them, only then will India get desired results in such sports events. Organising and promoting sports events and tournaments at local and district level and keeping data of players will create a vibrant sports environment.

PM Modi said that soon India would be launching the National Manufacturing Mission (NMM). Every State must give this top priority and create infrastructure to attract global companies. He further said that it included Ease of Doing Business, especially with respect to land, utilities and social infrastructure. He also called upon states to encourage manufacturing, boost ‘Ease of Doing Business’ and strengthen the services sector. In the services sector, PM Modi said that there should be greater emphasis on other areas like Healthcare, education, transport, tourism, professional services, AI, etc. to make India a Global Services Giant.

Prime Minister also emphasized that as India aspires to be the food basket of the world, we need to shift to high value agriculture, dairy, fisheries, with a focus on exports. He pointed out that the PM Dhan Dhanya Scheme has identified 100 districts with lower productivity. Similarly, in learning outcomes States must identify the lowest 100 districts and must work on addressing the issues around the low indicators.

PM also urged the States to use Gyan Bharatam Mission for digitization of manuscripts. He said that States may start a Abhiyan to digitize such manuscripts available in States. Once these manuscripts are digitized, Al can be used for synthesizing the wisdom and knowledge available.

Prime Minister noted that the Conference reflects India’s tradition of collective thinking and constructive policy dialogue, and that the Chief Secretaries Conference, institutionalised by the Government of India, has become an effective platform for collective deliberation.

Prime Minister emphasised that States should work in tandem with the discussions and decisions emerging from both the Chief Secretaries and the DGPs Conferences to strengthen governance and implementation.

Prime Minister suggested that similar conferences could be replicated at the departmental level to promote a national perspective among officers and improve governance outcomes in pursuit of Viksit Bharat.

Prime Minister also said that all States and UTs must prepare capacity building plan along with the Capacity Building Commission. He said that use of Al in governance and awareness on cyber security is need of the hour. States and Centre have to put emphasis on cyber security for the security of every citizen.

Prime Minister said that the technology can provide secure and stable solutions through our entire life cycle. There is a need to utilise technology to bring about quality in governance.

In the conclusion, Prime Minister said that every State must create 10-year actionable plans based on the discussions of this Conference with 1, 2, 5 and 10 year target timelines wherein technology can be utilised for regular monitoring.

The three-day Conference emphasised on special themes which included Early Childhood Education; Schooling; Skilling; Higher Education; and Sports and Extracurricular Activities recognising their role in building a resilient, inclusive and future-ready workforce.

Discussion during the Conference

The discussions during the Conference reflected the spirit of Team India, where the Centre and States came together with a shared commitment to transform ideas into action. The deliberations emphasised the importance of ensuring time-bound implementation of agreed outcomes so that the vision of Viksit Bharat translates into tangible improvements in citizens’ lives. The sessions provided a comprehensive assessment of the current situation, key challenges and possible solutions across priority areas related to human capital development.

The Conference also facilitated focused deliberations over meals on Heritage & Manuscript Preservation and Digitisation; and Ayush for All with emphasis on integrating knowledge in primary healthcare delivery.

The deliberations also emphasised the importance of effective delivery, citizen-centric governance and outcome-oriented implementation to ensure that development initiatives translate into measurable on-ground impact. The discussions highlighted the need to strengthen institutional capacity, improve inter-departmental coordination and adopt data-driven monitoring frameworks to enhance service delivery. Focus was placed on simplifying processes, leveraging technology and ensuring last-mile reach so that benefits of development reach every citizen in a timely, transparent and inclusive manner, in alignment with the vision of Viksit Bharat.

The Conference featured a series of special sessions that enabled focused deliberations on cross-cutting and emerging priorities. These sessions examined policy pathways and best practices on Deregulation in States, Technology in Governance: Opportunities, Risks & Mitigation; AgriStack for Smart Supply Chain & Market Linkages; One State, One World Class Tourist Destination; Aatmanirbhar Bharat & Swadeshi; and Plans for a post-Left Wing Extremism future. The discussions highlighted the importance of cooperative federalism, replication of successful State-level initiatives and time-bound implementation to translate deliberations into measurable outcomes.

The Conference was attended by Chief Secretaries, senior officials of all States/Union Territories, domain experts and senior officers in the centre.