Stalin Submits Key Demands to PM Modi During Brief Delhi Visit

With a five-minute meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin submitted a memorandum seeking the Centre’s sanction for important infrastructure projects and long-pending social justice changes.

At the helm of the list of projects in the infrastructure sector were the sanctioning of Metro Rail projects for Coimbatore (34.8 km, ₹10,740.49 crore) and Madurai (32 km, ₹11,368.35 crore) on a cost-sharing ratio of 50:50 with the Centre. Stalin further asked for the Chennai Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) to be transferred from Indian Railways to Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL), the development of the airports at Coimbatore and Madurai, and the eight-laning of the accident hotbed NH-32 stretch between Chengalpattu and Tindivanam.

The CM made a repeat of Tamil Nadu’s call for a new facility of AIIMS in Coimbatore and unblocking the funds under the Samagra Shiksha scheme for which the state has gone to the Supreme Court.

On the social front, Stalin urged the Centre to pass legislation changing the names of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes ending in “-n” or “-a” suffixes, seen as disrespectful to end with “-r”, a long-standing request from several communities seeking dignity and recognition. He also pressed for the inclusion of Dalit Christians in the Scheduled Caste list, a demand pending for decades.

Addressing the media post-meeting, Stalin said the PM responded positively when thanked for recently releasing CMRL Phase II funds after their prior meeting. I reminded him that similar action is anticipated on these new demands,” Stalin said, sounding cautiously optimistic.

On the issue of repeated arrests and harassment of Tamil Nadu fishermen by the Sri Lankan Navy, Stalin requested the Centre to come up with a permanent solution.

Dismissing allegations of large-scale scams in Tasmac and sand mining as “election propaganda,” Stalin also brushed off AIADMK leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami’s claim that his Delhi visit was personally motivated “I carry neither a white flag nor the saffron one EPS holds,” he quipped.