Jaya takes on DMK over initiating Chennai Metro rail

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday said it was her government, which sowed the seeds for the Chennai Metro Rail, and dismissed claims of arch rival DMK that it had initiated the project.

Referring to DMK's allegations of delay in the execution of the Metro project, Jayalalithaa said only 3 <g data-gr-id="22">per cent</g> of the work was completed during 2007-11 by the DMK regime.

"Between 2007 and 2011, during the DMK regime, only 3 per cent of work was done. In the past four years, 73 <g data-gr-id="25">per cent</g> of the work was completed in my government and service between Alandur and Koyambedu is launched," she said. 

The feasibility study for the Metro Project was done only in 2003 in the AIADMK regime, she said. "It is a pure lie to say that the plan was devised and executed expeditiously during the DMK regime," she said.  Though DMK was an ally of the Congress, it could get the Centre's nod for the project only in 2009, she added. Also, it was only on February 15, 2011, during the fag end of the DMK tenure that <g data-gr-id="27">an MoU</g> was inked among the Centre, State and Chennai Metro Rail, she said.

While DMK spent only Rs 1,143 crore in the project during its regime, Rs 9,229 had been spent till date by the AIADMK government since it assumed power in 2011, the CM said. 

"People will easily understand that it is the AIADMK regime which sowed the seeds for Metro Rail Project," she said.