Chennai: Metro stations named after C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran, J Jayalalithaa

CHENNAI: Just months ahead of the assembly polls, chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday announced naming of three metro stations in Chennai after former chief ministers C N Annadurai, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa. Soon after the announcement, the DMK hit out at the EPS government on social media, saying Jayalalithaa had opposed metro rail, preferring mono rail instead. It was former CM M Karunanidhi who initiated the metro mail project, the party said.
In a statement, chief minister Palaniswami said since Chennai international airport is called Anna International Terminal, Alandur metro station nearby has been named Arignar Anna Alandur Metro.As Chennai Central railway station is called Puratchi Thalaivar Dr M G Ramachandran Central Railway Station, Central Metro is named as Puratchi Thalaivar Dr M G Ramachandran Central Metro.
CMBT metro station has been named Puratchi Thalaivi Dr J Jayalalithaa CMBT Metro to honour former chief minister J Jayalalithaa who opened CMBT, Asia’s biggest bus terminus, and the metro station. Palaniswami said, “I issued orders accepting a high-level committee’s recommendation for the change of names to honour the leaders.”
“What an irony to name Chennai CMBT metro station after madam Jayalalithaa,” said Dharmapuri MP S Senthilkumar, posting the newspaper reports of former AIADMK supremo opposing the project. The DMK supporters pointed to the then deputy CM M K Stalin’s visit to Japan to get funds for metro rail. The DMK cabinet took a decision to implement it in 2006, and Stalin inaugurated the piling work for the elevated corridor from Koyambedu to Ashok Nagar three years later.
Central Chennai MP Dayanidhi Maran hit out at the government for not naming a station after former DMK president but instead naming it after a leader convicted by a court. It is sheer political manipulation, said Maran. “Former PM Manmohan Singh and DMK chief M Karunanidhi were instrumental in bringing metro rail to Chennai. Not to give him credit is unfair,” the former Union minister told TOI.
Palaniswami hailed the former chief minister Jayalalithaa for implementing Rs 18,380 crore project along two routes – the 23km long Washermenpet-Chennai-Airport, and 22km Central railway station-St Thomas Mount links routes, based on a feasibility study in 2003.
In 2015, seven stations were opened between Koyambedu and Alandur, while six between Chennai Airport and Little Mount. The regime after her saw the opening of seven stations between Koyambedu and Nehru Park, and six stations between Nehru Park and Central metro rail station. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened seven stations between AG-DMS to Washermenpet. “The state ordered three metro rail corridors for a total length of 118.9km in phase II at Rs 61,843 crore. It had sought approval for equity share capital,” the CM said.