Tiruchirappalli, Jan 2: In a push for 'Sabka Vikas' south of the Vindhyas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for a bouquet of development projects worth over Rs 20,000 crore in Tiruchirappalli on Tuesday.

After holding a convocation event at the Bharathidasan University, PM Modi was felicitated by Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin at the public programme in the city.

Speaking at the event, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia spoke highly of PM Modi's leadership, saying the central government, on his watch, has ensured that airports are not only a medium of travel but also centres of growth.

"Airports are also emerging as centres of employment for the whole country. The one big change that has taken place over the last 9.5 years of this government is that PM Modi, through his leadership, has democratised civil aviation for every single citizen of this country. Everyone who wears a 'Hawai Chappal' (slippers) must also travel in a 'Hawai jahaaj' (aircraft). This has been the PM's dream for the people of our country," Scindia said.

PM Modi later proceeded to inaugurate the new terminal building at the Trichy airport.

The new terminal building has been developed at a cost of more than Rs 1100 crore. The two-level new international terminal has the capacity to serve more than 44 lakh passengers annually and about 3,500 during peak hours, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) informed earlier through an official release.

"The new terminal hosts state-of-the-art amenities and features for passenger convenience," read the PMO statement on Monday.
Tiruchirappalli International Airport is the second-largest airport in terms of international passenger traffic after Chennai in Tamil Nadu.

The new terminal building contains 60 check-in counters, 5 baggage carousels, 60 arrival immigration counters, and 44 departure emigration counters, the release stated.

Prime Minister Modi also dedicated to the nation multiple railway projects worth crores. These include the doubling of the 41.4 km Salem-Magnesite Junction-Omalur-Mettur Dam section; the doubling of the rail line section of 160 km from Madurai-Tuticorin; and three projects for rail line electrification: Tiruchchirappalli-Manamadurai-Virudhunagar; Virudhunagar-Tenkasi Junction; Sengottai-Tenkasi Junction; Tirunelveli- Tirunelveli- Tiruchendur. The rail projects are tipped to help improve the rail capacity to carry freight and passengers and contribute to economic development and employment generation in Tamil Nadu.

He also dedicates to the nation five road projects, including a 39-km four-lane road for the Trichy-Kallagam section of NH-81; a 60 km long 4/2-lane road for the Kallagam-Meensurutti section of NH-81; a 29 km four-lane road of Chettikulam - Natham section of NH-785; an 80 km long two-lane road with a paved shoulder of Karaikudi-Ramanathapuram section of NH-536; and a 44 km long four-lane section of NH-179A Salem-Tirupathur-Vaniyambadi Road.

The road projects will facilitate safe and faster travel of people of the region and improve the connectivity of industrial and commercial centres like Trichy, Srirangam, Chidambaram, Rameshwaram, Dhanushkodi, Uthirakosamangai, Devipattinam, Erwadi, and Madurai, among others, according to a government release.

Prime Minister Modi also laid the foundation stone for important road development projects.

These include the construction of a 31-kilometer-long, four-lane road from Mugaiyur to Marakkanam of NH 332A.

The road will connect ports on the East Coast of Tamil Nadu, enhance road connectivity to the world heritage site -- Mamallapuram -- and provide better connectivity to Kalpakkam Atomic Power Plant.

He also inaugurated the General Cargo Berth-II (Automobile Export/Import Terminal-II and Capital Dredging Phase-V) of Kamarajar Port. The inauguration of General Cargo Berth II will be a step towards strengthening the country's trade, which will help boost economic growth and employment generation.

Further, the projects whose foundation stone was laid include the development of 323 Km of natural gas pipeline from Krishnagiri to Coimbatore section of Kochi-Koottanad-Bangalore-Mangalore Gas Pipeline II (KKBMPL II) by Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL); and the laying of POL pipelines in the Common Corridor for the proposed grass root terminal at Vallur, Chennai.

These projects in the petroleum and natural gas sectors will be a step towards fulfilling the industrial, domestic and commercial requirements of energy in the region. These will also lead to employment generation in the region and contribute to employment generation.

He also inaugurated the 500-bed Boys' Hostel 'AMETHYST' of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Tiruchirappalli.

Apart from Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Modi will also visit Lakshadweep and Kerala over two days, on January 2 and 3.

(ANI)

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