Budget 2024: TN urges FinMin to provide Rs 63,000 cr for CMRL Phase II

Tamil Nadu government on Saturday urged Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to make provisions in the upcoming union budget and sanction Rs 63,246 crore for the Chennai Metro Rail Phase II project for which the foundation stone was laid in November 2020.

This central project recommended by the Public Investment Board in August 2021 was awaiting approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs for the last three years, Tamil Nadu Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu said. Pending this approval, the entire expenditure is being borne by the state from its own funds, he said.

"The delay in approval is making a severe impact on our state finances and has slowed the pace of implementation of this project, causing hardships to the people of Chennai. I urge the Union Government to immediately sanction the project, as originally envisaged, and ensure adequate provisions are made in the Union Budget 2024-25," he said .

He was speaking at the meeting of state finance ministers with .