PM Modi launches development projects worth ₹16,450 crore in Kerala and Tamil Nadu

Key facts

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched multiple development projects worth approximately ₹16,450 crore across Kerala and Tamil Nadu on 11 March.
• In Kerala, projects worth about ₹10,800 crore were launched, including the foundation stone for a Polypropylene Unit at the Kochi Refinery of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) costing over ₹5,500 crore.
• The Polypropylene Unit at the BPCL Kochi Refinery will have a production capacity of 400 kilo tonnes per annum to boost domestic polymer manufacturing.
• The Prime Minister inaugurated the six-laning of the Thalapady-Chengala section of National Highway (NH) 66 (₹2,650 crore) and the Kozhikode Bypass from Vengalam to Ramanattukara (₹2,140 crore).
• Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), three redeveloped railway stations were inaugurated in Kerala: Shoranur Junction, Kuttippuram Railway Station, and Changanassery Railway Station.
• The Prime Minister dedicated the Shoranur-Nilambur Road railway line electrification and flagged off a new train service between Palakkad and Pollachi.
• A 50 MW floating solar project foundation stone was laid at West Kallada in Kollam district, Kerala, to enhance renewable energy capacity.
• In Tamil Nadu, projects worth ₹5,650 crore were launched, including a City Gas Distribution (CGD) Network by BPCL in The Nilgiris and Erode districts with an investment of over ₹3,680 crore.
• A Lube Blending Plant with a capacity of 672 thousand metric tonnes per annum, developed by Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) at Manali for ₹1,490 crore, was dedicated to the nation.
• Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 23 rural roads in Kerala and 89 rural roads covering 370 kilometres in Tamil Nadu were inaugurated.
• The Prime Minister flagged off two Amrit Bharat Express trains, two express trains, and a passenger train service to improve connectivity between Tamil Nadu and states like Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala.
• The foundation stone was laid for a greenfield bypass near Gangaikonda Cholapuram on National Highway 81 in Tamil Nadu.