Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone for development projects worth over Rs 15,000 crore across Kerala and Tamil Nadu, spanning infrastructure, petroleum, renewable energy, railways and rural connectivity.
The projects were unveiled during separate programmes in Kochi in Kerala and Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu, where the prime minister said the initiatives would strengthen energy security, improve connectivity and generate employment.
In Kerala, Modi inaugurated and dedicated to the nation projects worth over Rs 10,000 crore across sectors including petroleum, highways, railways and renewable energy.
A key initiative was the foundation stone for a polypropylene unit at the Kochi Refinery of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), with an investment of over Rs 5,500 crore. The facility is expected to produce around four lakh tonnes of polypropylene annually, supporting industries such as packaging, textiles, automobiles and medical devices.
The prime minister also inaugurated two major National Highway projects — the six-laning of the Thalapady–Chengala section of NH-66 and the Kozhikode Bypass from Vengalam to Ramanattukara, built at a combined cost exceeding Rs 4,700 crore.
“These projects will improve connectivity to Azhikkal Port, reduce traffic congestion in Kozhikode and benefit farmers while boosting tourism,” Modi said.
He also dedicated railway projects worth Rs 142 crore, flagged off a new train service, and inaugurated three redeveloped railway stations — Shoranur Junction, Kuttippuram and Changanassery — under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, developed at a cost of about Rs 52 crore.
The PM further laid the foundation stone for a 50 MW floating solar project in West Kallada, emphasising the need to expand clean and renewable energy capacity.
“For an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’, expansion of the petroleum sector is very important,” Modi said.
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Projects worth Rs 5,650 crore in Tamil Nadu
In Tamil Nadu, Modi launched development projects worth about Rs 5,650 crore, focusing on infrastructure, energy and connectivity.
He laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s City Gas Distribution network in Nilgiris and Erode districts, with an investment of over Rs 3,680 crore. The project aims to provide piped natural gas connections to more than 8.8 lakh households, supply gas to over 200 commercial establishments and set up 201 CNG stations.
Modi also dedicated to the nation the Rs 1,490 crore Indian Oil Corporation Lube Blending Plant in Chennai, which has a capacity of 672 thousand metric tonnes per annum and is expected to strengthen India’s lubricants manufacturing capacity.
“These projects are about infrastructure, clean energy, petroleum-related manufacturing, highways, railways and rural roads. They will boost energy access, connectivity and create thousands of jobs for the youth of Tamil Nadu,” Modi said.
He also flagged off two Amrit Bharat Express trains, two express trains, and launched a new Mayiladuthurai–Thiruvarur–Karaikkudi train service, enhancing connectivity between Tamil Nadu and several regions including Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala.
Additionally, 89 rural roads spanning 370 km were inaugurated under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, improving access to markets, schools and healthcare facilities in rural areas.
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