Chennai, Nov 20 (NationPress) Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Manohar Lal Khattar accused Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday of “playing politics” regarding the dismissal of Metro Rail projects for Coimbatore and Madurai, asserting that the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) exhibit “serious inconsistencies and unjustifiable projections.”

In a post on X, Khattar revealed that the Centre had allocated an unprecedented ₹63,246 crore for the Chennai Metro Phase II — marking the highest funding ever provided to any state for a metro initiative.

“Despite this, the Chief Minister is trying to politicize the actions of the Union Government, which are in strict adherence to the 2017 Metro Rail Policy,” he remarked.

According to the Minister, the DPR for the Coimbatore Metro claimed that the shorter corridor would accommodate more passengers than the much longer and denser Chennai Metro line — an estimate he described as “unreasonable and unexplained.”

Khattar highlighted that while the Coimbatore Corporation has a population of 15.85 lakh, only about 7.07 lakh people live within the designated metro planning area.

“Yet, the DPR suggests ridership figures almost five times the actual population of the city. Such projections are not justifiable,” he stated.

Khattar also noted that even basic criteria such as travel-time savings — a crucial factor for metro project viability — did not meet expectations in Coimbatore.

He asserted that in several of the seven proposed corridors, there was “simply no adequate space” to carry out the project.

Regarding Madurai, the Union Minister mentioned that the DPR itself suggested that a Bus Rapid Transit System (BRTS) would adequately fulfill the city's transportation needs.

He criticized the Tamil Nadu government for refusing to join the Centre’s initiative to roll out 10,000 electric buses across major cities.

This response followed Chief Minister Stalin's allegations that the BJP-led Union Government had denied Metro Rail projects for Madurai and Coimbatore on “flimsy grounds.”

Stalin claimed that while BJP-ruled states received Metro approvals even for smaller Tier-II cities, the opposition-ruled Tamil Nadu was being punished for its democratic choice.

Calling the decision “vindictive,” he stated that Tamil Nadu would “never accept such distortions of federal principles.”

The Union Government has maintained that both cities do not meet the mandatory 2-million population threshold set under the 2017 Metro Rail Policy.

According to the 2011 Census, Coimbatore’s population is 15.84 lakh and Madurai’s stands at 15 lakh — making both ineligible for Metro Rail planning based on current guidelines.