State and central govts race with each other to inaugurate projects, centre struggles to complete key projects

Chennai: The state and union govts are competing with each other in launching new projects ahead of the assembly elections. While chief minister M K Stalin and deputy chief minister Udhayanidhi Stalin are on a project inauguration spree, Prime minister Narendra Modi for his part, laid foundation stone or inaugurated projects worth Rs 5600 crores during his Trichy visit on Wednesday.Nevertheless, the Union govt has been unable to showcase key infrastructural projects. One of the important projects was the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) facility in Madurai. The Union govt has been facing flak for the delay in completion of the project since 2021 election. This time though the Union govt was keen on completing it. There were even speculations that Modi would inaugurate the facility during his Madurai visit on March 1. However, the project announced in 2019 at a cost of ₹1,978 crore and scheduled for completion by 2025, still remains incomplete. The delay is attributed to land acquition during the initial phase, tender revisions and staggered funding from the Union health ministry.Another project that awaits completion is the first operational stretch of Chennai Metro Rail Phase II, a 14-km corridor between Poonamallee and Vadapalani, which received conditional clearance from the Commissioner of Metro Rail Safety. Yet double-decker viaduct works remained pending. The MRTS extension from Velachery to St Thomas Mount, planned to integrate the corridor with the suburban rail network, is yet to open due to land acquisition issues, alignment changes, coordination between Railways and state agencies, and pending Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) approval. Chennai International Airport's Terminal II (second phase) expansion project and the Bengaluru–Chennai expressway are other major projects which have missed their deadlines. BJP leaders, however, said projects worth about ₹12,750 crore were inaugurated by Modi during his three visits this year, including railway upgrades and highway works. The state govt, meanwhile, launched a series of infrastructure and development projects. Recent inaugurations by chief minister MK Stalin include the GD Naidu flyover in Coimbatore, the Madhya Kailash bridge in Chennai, mini-TIDEL parks in smaller towns like Karaikudi, 10 Mudhalvar Padhipagam-cum-libraries, museum complexes in Madurai, a ‘super tree' tower park, and several public parks.R Deepak, a political analyst, said inaugurations of infrastructure projects offer leverage to ruling parties. "Voters respond to projects that can be seen and used immediately, so inaugurations provide parties an opportunity to present administrative output in a direct manner"