The Union government’s move rejecting the metro rail projects proposed for Coimbatore and Madurai has triggered a political row in Tamil Nadu, setting the tone for the next set of fierce battles between the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Bharatiya Janata Party in the southern state.
The Union government, in its communication to the Tamil Nadu government dated November 14, 2025, said that the proposal for metro rail projects in Coimbatore and Madurai cannot be approved citing the norms stipulated in the 2017 Metro Rail Policy. As per the policy, a city must have a population of at least two million people to qualify for a mass transit system like a metro train. The communication was sent to the Tamil Nadu government by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
'கோயில் நகர்' மதுரைக்கும், 'தென்னிந்திய மான்செஸ்டர்' கோவைக்கும் "NO METRO" என நிராகரித்துள்ளது ஒன்றிய பா.ஜ.க. அரசு!
அனைவருக்கும் பொதுவானதாகச் செயல்படுவதுதான் அரசுக்கான இலக்கணம். அதற்கு மாறாக, பா.ஜ.க.வைத் தமிழ்நாட்டு மக்கள் நிராகரிப்பதற்காக இப்படி பழிவாங்குவது கீழ்மையான போக்கு.… pic.twitter.com/PEoQKCBMRY
— M.K.Stalin - தமிழ்நாட்டை தலைகுனிய விடமாட்டேன் (@mkstalin) November 19, 2025
Referring to the 2011 census data, the Union ministry said Coimbatore and Madurai had only population of 1.58 million and 1.5 million, respectively; hence, the two do not qualify for a mass transit system. The communication said, “The metro projects are cost-intensive and should be planned carefully for long-term sustainability.” However, the Union government said that the state can opt for a cost-effective urban transport system like the Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS).
“It is unfortunate that Hon’ble Chief Minister Stalin has chosen to politicise and create controversy over the application of The Metro Policy 2017, which is a procedure designed to ensure that costly infrastructure projects such as Metro Rail Systems, generate maximum benefit for the public,” Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs Manohar Lal Khattar said in a social media post.
Stating that the chief minister had ignored the Centre’s magnanimous sanction for the Chennai metro phase-II project, at a cost of Rs 63,246 crore for a route length of 119 km. “This is the biggest-ever sanctioned metro project,” Khattar said in a statement. He also said that the DPR appears ‘erroneous on the face of it'.” The projected average trip lengths and speed differentials between road traffic and the metro do not support the expectation of a modal shift of traffic to a metro system, he said. As per the DPR for Coimbatore, there is inadequate right of way at seven metro station locations, Khattar said. He also said that the Comprehensive Mobility Plan of Madurai stipulates that with the current ridership, a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) is justifiable.
Meanwhile, the state government maintains that the DPRs were submitted based on the Union Ministry’s guidelines for a Mass Rapid Transit System (MRTS) in Coimbatore, Madurai, and three other tier-II cities in Tamil Nadu. Chennai Metro Rail Limited prepared the DPRs for Madurai and Coimbatore. The DPR proposed that the project could cost Rs 11,000 crore in each city, and it could be on a 50:50 equity sharing basis. The DPR proposed two corridors for a length of 35km in Coimbatore, a 26.5km-long elevated corridor and 5.5 km-long underground corridor.
The political clash
While the communication was dated November 14, it was made public only on November 18, just hours ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Coimbatore. According to BJP leaders, the ruling DMK intentionally leaked the communication and the chief minister took to social media only to malign the image of the Centre, even when it had sanctioned huge funds for the Chennai Metro phase II. While the BJP and its allies in Tamil Nadu took to defend the Centre, its primary ally, AIADMK, went with a memorandum to the prime minister, asking him to sanction the metro rail projects.
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The DMK, on the other hand, took to the streets to expose the Centre’s double standards. The protest in Coimbatore, led by former minister V. Senthil Balaji, condemned the Centre for rejecting the proposal. They flayed the BJP-led Centre for continuously deceiving and ignoring the people of Tamil Nadu. |
