The proposed Madurai-Thoothukudi railway line via Aruppukottai has sparked controversy due to conflicting statements from the Union Railway Minister and Tamil Nadu government. Southern Railways clarified that the Union minister's statement was misinterpreted
Published Jan 16, 2025 | 8:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jan 16, 2025 | 12:27 PM
Indian railways. (Wikimedia)
The proposed Madurai-Thoothukudi railway line via Aruppukottai has sparked controversy following conflicting statements from the Union Railway Minister and the Tamil Nadu government. On Wednesday, Southern Railways clarified that the Union minister’s statement had been misinterpreted – the project was indeed on.
A statement made at a press briefing by Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw caused confusion, and led to rebuttals from the Tamil Nadu government.
The Madurai–Thoothukudi railway project was sanctioned in the 2011-12 fiscal year with the vision of improving connectivity in southern Tamil Nadu. The proposed 143.5 km broad-gauge railway line was expected to bolster the region’s transportation network and contribute significantly to its economic development.
By March 2022, an 18 km stretch between Milavittan and Melmarudur had been completed. This section was approved for operations by the Commission of Railway Safety.
It was after this that Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stirred controversy by stating that the Madurai-Thoothukudi railway project had been discontinued.
According to the Railways minister, the decision was made in response to a written request from the Tamil Nadu government, which allegedly asked for the project to be shelved.
Vaishnaw attributed the project’s halt to challenges in land acquisition and a lack of cooperation from the state government.
Tamil Nadu Transport Minister SS Sivasankar through a press release stated that there are no issues with land acquisition for the Madurai-Thoothukudi broad gauge railway project.
He stated that the Tamil Nadu government had been cooperating with the Union in land acquisition and urged the Union to allocate the necessary funds for its completion.
He explained that progress was being made in land acquisition for the project, and over 926 hectares across Madurai, Virudhunagar, and Thoothukudi districts had been acquired.
Administrative orders have been issued to expedite the process, he said, adding that Chief Minister MK Stalin had written to the Union Railway Minister on August 19, 2024, requesting adequate funds for the project.
District collectors have also sent multiple reminders to the Railways, urging the allocation of necessary resources.
In the 2023-24 fiscal year, Rs. 100 crore was allocated for the project.
However, Southern Railway reportedly proposed freezing the project, citing limited freight opportunities and low commercial viability.
On January 15, 2025, Southern Railway clarified that Union Minister Vaishnaw’s earlier statement about the project being “shelved” was a misinterpretation – the minister had reportedly referred to a stalled project (Dhanushkodi line), and the confusion arose on account of overlapping questions during a media interaction.
The miscommunication led to a blame game between the state and central governments.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) accused the Union Minister of making false statements, highlighting the state’s consistent efforts to expedite the project.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu Chief, K. Annamalai, criticised the DMK government for alleged delay in land acquisition, claiming that only 26 percent of the required land for various railway projects in the state had been acquired.
While our Hon PM Thiru @narendramodi aims to propel the country forward in the 5th gear towards the goals of Viksit Bharat, the DMK Govt in Tamil Nadu appears to be driving the state backwards.
Our Honorable Railway Minister Thiru @AshwiniVaishnaw clarified to the media…
— K.Annamalai (@annamalai_k) January 11, 2025
Manickam Tagore, MP of Virudhunagar, posted on social media website X: “So, can we say that the Madurai-Aruppukottai-
So, can we say that the Madurai-Aruppukottai-Thoothukudi project is still on, @AshwiniVaishnaw ji?
The recent clarification confirms no land-related issues from TN Govt. We hope for this critical project to proceed without further hurdles. #MaduraiThoothukudiRail https://t.co/Yf5RUREwkL pic.twitter.com/uMLx0s9z5D— Manickam Tagore .B🇮🇳மாணிக்கம் தாகூர்.ப (@manickamtagore) January 15, 2025
The problem of miscommunication might have been averted if the Union government had released an official communication after the press meeting.
Written communication, however, is not the forte of the Modi regime. In October 2014, months after Narendra Modi was sworn in as prime minister the first time, an office memorandum from the Prime Minister’s Office instructed bureaucrats not to implement “oral” orders from ministers, unless there was written confirmation.
(Edited by Rosamma Thomas)
