Overview
- In a November 14 letter, the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said Coimbatore and Madurai have 2011 Census populations of 15.84 lakh and about 15 lakh, below the 20‑lakh threshold required to plan a metro.
- The ministry returned the Detailed Project Reports and noted metro systems are cost‑intensive, pointing to the state’s own mobility plan that identified Bus Rapid Transit as suitable for Madurai.
- Tamil Nadu’s submissions proposed corridors of roughly 34.5 km in Coimbatore (about ₹10,700 crore) and 31.9 km in Madurai (about ₹11,300 crore).
- Officials in New Delhi questioned ridership forecasts in the DPRs, saying estimates such as Coimbatore’s 5.9 lakh daily riders were unrealistic compared with current Chennai Metro usage.
- Chief Minister M.K. Stalin called the decision politically biased as PM Narendra Modi visits Coimbatore, while BJP leaders said the state can resubmit using urban‑agglomeration data or special justification; DMK allies announced protests in Coimbatore on Thursday and Madurai on Friday.