PM Modi inaugurates Pamban bridge in TN, CM Stalin skips eve
PM Modi inaugurates Pamban bridge in TN, CM Stalin skips event
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Pamban bridge, India's first vertical lift sea bridge and flagged off train service linking Rameswaram island to the rest of the country
In this image provided by PMO on April 6, 2025, A train
passes on the newly-inaugurated Pamban sea bridge during the flagging off of
the new Rameswaram-Tambaram (Chennai) train service by Prime Minister Narendra
Modi, in Rameswaram, Tamil Nadu. (PMO via PTI Photo)
RAMESWARAM — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the Pamban
bridge, India's first vertical lift sea bridge and flagged off train service
linking Rameswaram island to the rest of the country. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister
M K Stalin skipped the event.
Modi flagged off a Coast Guard ship that sailed under the
bridge and also laid foundation stone for and dedicated to the nation various
rail and road projects totally worth over Rs 8,300 crore. In his address, Modi
said the day marked the auspicious occasion of Ram Navami and that Lord Ram's
good governance is the foundation for nation building.
He also outlined the connect Tamil Nadu had to Lord Ram by
quoting Sangam era literature. On the fishermen issue vis-a-vis Sri Lanka, he
said over the past decade, more than 3,700 fishermen have been brought back from
Sri Lanka, including over 600 in the past year alone.
While Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin skipped the event
and upped the ante on the delimitation issue saying Modi should allay the fears
of the people on the proposed exercise, the PMr, without naming anyone, hit
back by picking the Tamil pitch. He batted for imparting medical education in
Tamil medium to help the poor and said the state got 11 new medical colleges in
recent years.
Modi said efforts were on to take Tamil language, heritage
to all corners of the world. Without naming anyone, the PM said he gets letters
from leaders of Tamil Nadu and "they do not sign in Tamil," and asked
them to atleast sign in in Tamil. Earlier, the prime minister prayed at the
Ramanathaswamy temple here.
Lauding the hard work of Tamil Nadu's fisheries community,
he said that over the past five years, Tamil Nadu has received substantial
funds under the PM Matsya Sampada Yojana, stressing the government's efforts to
provide modern facilities for fishermen, including investments worth hundreds
of crores in seaweed parks, fishing harbors, and landing centres.
Referring to several projects he said work is progressing
rapidly as regards the country's first bullet train, while modern trains like
Vande Bharat, Amrit Bharat, and Namo Bharat are making the rail network more
advanced.
Against the background of DMK regime crying foul over fund
allocation to the state, Modi said over the past decade, the central government
has allocated three times more funds for Tamil Nadu's development compared to
the period before 2014.
He noted that this increased funding has greatly contributed
to Tamil Nadu's economic and industrial growth. The PM, referring to
beneficiaries from the state in respect of several initiatives, said that despite
the increased allocation to Tamil Nadu, some "cry" over funds.
Beneficiaries include those under the PM Awas Yojana (over
12 lakh pucca houses built in Tamil Nadu), piped water suppy initiative for
rural families (includes 1.11 crore families in TN), and over 1 crore
treatments in Tamil Nadu under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, saving expenses of
Rs 8,000 crore for families in the state.
He also referred to over 1,400 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the
state and noted that under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, small farmers in TN
received nearly Rs 12,000 crore. Also, state farmers benefited from the PM
Fasal Bima Yojana, with claims amounting to Rs 14,800 crore.
Tamil Nadu's railway budget has increased more than seven
fold. The PM added that before 2014, rail projects in Tamil Nadu received only
Rs 900 crore annually, while this year, the railway budget for Tamil Nadu
exceeds Rs 6,000 crore.
Since 2014, with the support of the central government,
4,000 kilometers of roads have been constructed in Tamil Nadu, and the project
involving an elevated corridor to connect Chennai Port will be another example
of remarkable infrastructure. The PM said the new Pamban bridge to Rameswaram
symbolizes the union of technology and tradition. He emphasized that a town
"thousands of years old" is now connected by a 21st-century
engineering marvel.
Modi underlined that this bridge is India’s first vertical
lift railway sea bridge, allowing big ships to sail underneath while enabling
faster train travel.
According to the government, the bridge linking Rameswaram
to the mainland, was a remarkable feat of Indian engineering and it was built
at a cost of over Rs 700 crore. It is 2.08 km in length, features 99 spans and
a 72.5-metre vertical lift span that rises up to a height of 17 metres,
facilitating smooth movement of ships while ensuring seamless train operations.
Constructed with stainless steel reinforcement, high-grade
protective paint, and fully welded joints, the bridge boasts increased
durability and reduced maintenance needs. It is designed for dual rail tracks
to accommodate future demands.
The over Rs 8,000 crore projects include foundation stone
for four-laning of 28 Km long Walajapet – Ranipet section of NH-40 and
dedication to the Nation of 4-laned 29 Km long Viluppuram– Puducherry section
of NH-332.
These highways will connect many pilgrim centres and tourist
places, reduce distance between cities and enable faster access besides
empowering local farmers to transport agricultural products to the nearby
markets and boost economic activity. Tamil Nadu Governor, R N Ravi, Union
Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and L Murugan and elected representatives were
present.
