Three Metro Rail stations in Chennai have been rechristened after late Chief Ministers CN Annadurai, M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, the Tamil Nadu govenrment announced on Friday. According to a government order, the Alandur station will be called 'Arignar Anna Alandur Metro', the Central Metro as 'Puratchi Thalaivar Dr M G Ramachandran Central Metro' and the CMBT station as 'Puratchi Thalaivi Dr J Jayalalithaa CMBT Metro.'
Chief Minister K Palaniswami said the stations have been renamed after the state government accepted the recommendations of a high-level committee. He also listed out the steps taken by the AIADMK government under Jayalalithaa in implementing the Metro Rail project in the city.
On the second phase of Chennai Metro Rail, the chief minister said the Rs 61,843 crore project comprises three corridors: Madhavaram to SIPCOT, Light House to Poonamallee and Madhavaram to Sholinganallur, spanning 118.9 km.
"The state government has passed orders and we are currently awaiting Central nod and funding," he added.
Welcoming the move, the BJP state unit, however, demanded that certain other metro rail stations be named after the late stalwarts, B R Ambedkar and Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The state BJP demanded that the chief minister rename the metro rail stations at the airport and Madras High Court after former Prime Minister Vajpayee and architect of the Constitution, Ambedkar, respectively.
In a letter to Palaniswami, BJP State president L Murugan said the names of freedom fighters from Tamil Nadu should be given to other metro stations.
While hailing Ambedkar, Murugan said Vajpayee was instrumental in ushering in growth in various sectors.
A delegation of BJP under state general Secretary K T Raghavan called on the chief secretary K Shanmugam and highlighted the party's demand in this connection.