Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled several key projects in Tamil Nadu in a function held in Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium here on Sunday. He also handed over the indigenous main battle tank Arjun Mk-1A, designed and developed by a Chennai-based DRDO unit, to the Army.

In the presence of Governor Banwarilal Purohit, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami and other dignitaries, Mr. Modi inaugurated the Chennai Metro Rail Phase-I extension, which has been completed at a cost of ₹3,770 crore. He also commissioned the passenger services from Washermenpet to Wimco Nagar. This 9.05 km-long extension would link North Chennai with the airport and Central railway stations.

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The PM also laid the foundation stone for the extension, renovation and modernisation of the Grand Anicut Canal System. The canal is important for irrigation in the Cauvery Delta districts of Tamil Nadu. The modernisation of this canal will be taken up at a cost of ₹2,640 crore and will lead to an improvement in the water carrying capacity of the canals.

Mr. Modi inaugurated the fourth railway line between #Chennai beach and Attipattu. This 22.1 km section, laid at a cost of ₹293.40 crore, traverses through Chennai and Tiruvallur districts of Tamil Nadu and will ease out traffic from Chennai Port.

He inaugurated the railway electrification of single line section in Villupuram-Cuddalore-Mayiladuthurai-Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai-Tiruvarur in Tamil Nadu. The ₹423 crore project has electrified the 228-km long route.

The electrification of this route would enable the free flow of traffic without the need for a change of traction between Chennai Egmore and Kanniyakumari and would result in saving of ₹14.61 lakh per day on fuel cost, an official release stated.

Mr. Modi also unveiled the foundation stone for the Discovery Campus of the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras. The campus will be built at Thaiyur near #Chennai in at an estimated cost of ₹1,000 crore in the first phase, over an area of 2 lakh sq.m.

Deputy CM O. Panneerselvam, Assembly Speaker P. Dhanapal, Industries Minister M.C. Sampath and Chief Secretary Rajeev Ranjan were on the dias.

Political leaders in the AIADMK-BJP, including the DMDK were present among the audience.