From Metro rail funds to income tax reduction: CM Stalin lists Union Budget 2024 expectations

CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Sunday shared his expectations for the Union Budget 2024, which will be presented on July 23 during the Budget Session of Parliament, which is set to commence tomorrow.

Taking to X, CM Stalin urged the Union government to fulfill the following expectations of the people of Tamil Nadu in the Budget:

• Funds for the Chennai Metro Rail project, which has not been released for three years, should be released.
• To give approval for flyover expressway project between Tambaram - Chengalpattu.
• Expectations by middle class families that the income tax burden will be reduced over the decade.
• To give approval for Coimbatore and Madurai Metro Rail projects.
• Sufficient allocation of funds should be made for speedy implementation of already announced and new railway projects in Tamil Nadu.
• Raising the cost limit for houses constructed under rural and urban housing schemes.

Earlier in February this year, he penned a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the expedited approval of Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) Project. In his letter to the Prime Minister, M K Stalin wrote, "I would like to draw your kind attention to the inordinate delay in the approval for Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) project and request that you expedite the process. Phase I of the CMRL Project has been successfully implemented as a 50:50 joint venture between the Union Government and the Government of Tamil Nadu. Based on its success, we have approved Phase II under the same model, comprising three more corridors covering 119 km, at a cost of Rs 63,246 crore. The same was recommended to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) for approval in January 2019."

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MOHUA) and NITI Aayog have endorsed the eagerly anticipated Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) project.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister has expressed concerns over the delay in Central Government approval, impacting the timely execution of Phase II. Along with the Chennai metro rail project, he also demanded approval for the Coimbatore and Madurai metro rail projects and fund allocation for pending railway schemes in the state. 

He also pushed for reducing the Income Tax burden of middle-class families. “There were also expectations for increasing the unit cost for the Prime Minister’s housing schemes in rural and urban areas. I believe that the Union government will fulfil these expectations,” he said.

These demands were conveyed by party’s leader in the Lok Sabha, TR Baalu, during the all-party meeting convened on Sunday before the commencement of the Budget Session. “The DMK also raised the issues of NEET, State’s rights and fund allocation,” Baalu said.

(Inputs from ANI and Bureau)