“Dawn of a New Chapter in Thoothukudi” – PM Modi

• PM Modi launched development projects worth over ₹4800 crore in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu.
• The projects boost infrastructure, clean energy, and connectivity across the state.
• The PM emphasized Tamil Nadu’s high priority in national development plans.

GG News Bureau
Thoothukudi, 26th July: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone, inaugurated, and dedicated to the nation development projects worth over ₹4800 crore in Thoothukudi. These landmark projects span multiple sectors, aimed at significantly enhancing regional connectivity, boosting logistics efficiency, strengthening clean energy infrastructure, and improving the quality of life for citizens across Tamil Nadu. On the occasion, Shri Modi also paid tributes to the brave soldiers of Kargil, saluting their valor and sacrifice.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister highlighted the substantial focus on infrastructure and energy over the past eleven years, underscoring the high priority accorded to Tamil Nadu’s development. He stated that the world now recognizes its own growth in India’s progress, emphasizing that this confidence will drive a developed India and a developed Tamil Nadu. Shri Modi noted that Thoothukudi continues to witness a mission initiated in 2014 to elevate Tamil Nadu to the pinnacle of development.

Among the key projects, the Prime Minister inaugurated the New Terminal Building at Thoothukudi Airport, built at a cost of around ₹450 crore, which is now equipped to handle over 20 lakh passengers annually. In the road sector, two strategically significant highway projects worth approximately ₹2,500 crore were dedicated, including the 4-laning of the Sethiyathope–Cholapuram stretch of NH-36 and the 6-laning of the NH-138 Thoothukudi Port Road, set to improve connectivity and ease cargo flow.

Boosting port infrastructure, the North Cargo Berth–III at V.O. Chidambaranar Port, with a cargo handling capacity of 6.96 MMTPA and costing around ₹285 crore, was inaugurated. In railways, the electrification of the 90 km Madurai–Bodinayakkanur line and doubling of sections like Nagercoil Town–Kanniyakumari were dedicated, enhancing sustainable and efficient connectivity. Furthermore, the Prime Minister laid the foundation for a major power transmission project, an Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) for the 2,000 MW Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4, estimated at ₹550 crore, crucial for clean energy supply.

PM Modi also reiterated the Union Government’s commitment to ‘Make in India’ and mentioned the benefits of the recently signed India-UK Free Trade Agreement for Tamil Nadu’s youth, MSMEs, and various industries. He affirmed that policies related to Tamil Nadu’s growth have consistently been a top priority, citing significant financial transfers and the establishment of new medical colleges over the past decade.