Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa yesterday expressed the hope that the underground section of the Chennai Metro Rail project would become operational this year.
Inaugurating passenger services on the 8.6km second elevated corridor of the Chennai Metro Rail between Chennai Airport and Little Mount stations, the chief minister said: “Like other residents of the city, I also look forward to the commencement of operations of the underground section of the Metro Rail, which I am confident will happen before the end of 2016.”
She said passenger operations on the 1.28km stretch from Alandur to St Thomas Mount here will also be started soon after obtaining clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety.
“With that, the entire 20km elevated section of the Chennai Metro Rail project will become operational,” Jayalalithaa said.
Thanking the Japanese government for its support to the development programmes in Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa hoped that the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) would continue its support for the Metro Rail project extension, desalination project near here and the Ring Road project.
“Over the years, JICA has provided ¥383,314mn as Official Development Assistance (ODA) loans for all-round development in Tamil Nadu,” the JICA said.
The ODA loan assistance includes various projects in the state, like the Tamil Nadu Investment Promotion Programme (TNIPP), Tamil Nadu Urban Healthcare Project, Tamil Nadu Transmission System Improvement Project, Tamil Nadu Biodiversity Conservation & Greening Project and Hogenakkal Water Supply & Fluorosis Mitigation Project.


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