Railway Projects in Tamil Nadu Face Major Budget Cuts

21 Aug 2024 CW Team

The Rameswaram-Dhanushkodi new line project has received an allocation of Rs 560 million, despite not being mentioned in the interim budget. However, several other key railway projects in Tamil Nadu have faced significant budget cuts, raising concerns about their timely completion.

The long-delayed 184.45 km Tindivanam-Nagari new railway line, initially allocated Rs 3.5 billion in the interim budget, has seen its funds slashed to Rs 1.54 billion in the final allocation. Similarly, the Dharmapuri-Morappur (36 km) project, which had garnered much attention during its inauguration, has had its budget reduced from Rs 1.15 billion to Rs 493.7 million.

The Erode-Palani (91.5 km) new line project was allocated a mere Rs 1,000, a drastic reduction from the previously announced Rs 1 billion. In addition, the doubling works for the Katpadi-Villupuram (160 km), Salem-Karur-Dindigul (160 km), and Erode-Karur (65 km) lines, which each had an interim allocation of Rs 1.5 billion, have also been reduced to just Rs 1,000 each.

R. Pandiaraja, a member of the Zonal Rail Users Consultative Committee, criticized the union government's fund allocation, calling it a "scam." He highlighted the high cost of laying new railway lines with electrification, which requires Rs 150 million per km. For instance, the Madurai-Thoothukudi new line demands Rs 15 billion, but only Rs 180 million has been allocated this year, barely enough to lay 1 kilometer of track.

Pandiaraja urged the railways to disclose the percentage of land acquired for each project and allocate funds accordingly, suggesting that there seems to be little intention to complete these new line projects. This year, a total of Rs 63.62 billion was allocated for railway projects in Tamil Nadu, but the drastic cuts have cast doubt on the future of several critical developments.

Real Estate

07 Jul 2026

Pecan Realty Completes Rs 1.5 Billion Transactions

Pecan Realty has recently completed four institutional transactions worth over Rs 1.5 billion over the past two years, strengthening its position as an execution-led real estate platform. The deals include resolution-led acquisitions, structured finance transactions and capital partnerships across its development portfolio.The transactions covered acquisitions through the National Company Law Tribunal process and helped provide repayment or exits to both private and public sector lenders. The company said the deals demonstrate its ability to resolve complex project situations, work with instit..

SNN Estates Expands North Bengaluru Housing Project

SNN Estates has announced an expansion of its SNN Estates Felicity residential project in North Bengaluru following strong buyer demand, with 75 per cent of the first-phase inventory sold within three days of launch.The developer will add 76 apartments in the new phase, taking the project's estimated revenue potential to around Rs 1,000 crore upon completion of Phase 2.Spread across 6.5 acres in Rachenahalli, near Manyata Tech Park, the project comprises 604 apartments in 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3 and 4 BHK configurations. The development includes a 50,000-sq-ft clubhouse with amenities such as sports co..

SCG Drives ASEAN Industrial Transformation Strategy

SCG is strengthening its focus on ASEAN as a key growth region by advancing industrial transformation, enhancing competitiveness and building resilient regional value chains. Thammasak Sethaudom, President and Chief Executive Officer, SCG, highlighted the need for industries to continuously develop capabilities, strengthen resilience and deepen regional cooperation to achieve sustainable long-term growth.SCG views ASEAN as an important growth engine alongside China, supported by favourable demographics, trade connectivity and investment flows. With ASEAN’s GDP projected to grow by around 4.7..