Chennai:
After Kolkata and Delhi, now Chennai is set to have its very own metro rail project.
The 45-km elevated and partly underground network will be a Rs 16000 crore project that will aim to increase the city's public transport usage by fifteen per cent. It's a pet project of the ruling DMK and deputy Chief Minister M K Stalin has put it on the fast track.
"At least six lakh people can travel every day," the deputy Chief Minister said.
K. Rajaraman, Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Ltd said, "It will reduce travel time at least by fifty percent."
However, Chennaites will have to wait at least for three years for their first metro rail to roll out. But with elections just a few months away already the ruling DMK is making capital of it.
"This is definitely one of our achievements, an indication that our schemes are reaching people," Stalin added.
Though the project has been long overdue, now there are demands to extend the metro by another sixty kilometres connecting Chennai's newly developed areas.