Prime Minister Narendra Modi commissioned and laid the foundation stones for petroleum and natural gas projects worth more than ₹9,000 crore during his visit to Tiruchi on Tuesday.
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Among the projects are the Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.’s (IOCL) 488-km-long natural gas pipeline from IP101 (Chengalpattu) to IP 105 (Sayalkudi) section of Ennore-Tiruvallur-Bengaluru-Puducherry-Nagapattinam-Madurai-Tuticorin Pipeline; and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd.’s (HPCL) 697-km-long Vijayawada-Dharmapuri Multiproduct (POL) Petroleum Pipeline (VDPL).
Foundation stones were laid for the development of 323-km natural gas pipeline from Krishnagiri to Coimbatore section of the Kochi-Koottanad-Bengaluru-Mangaluru Gas pipeline II (KKBMPL II) by Gas Authority of India Ltd (GAIL); and laying of POL pipelines in common corridor for proposed grass-roots terminal at Vallur, Chennai.
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Asanur Pipeline Terminal, which was conceived to alleviate pressure from the existing terminals in Chennai, catering to the burgeoning energy needs of central and northern Tamil Nadu was inaugurated. The terminal constructed at a sanctioned project cost of ₹456 crore is spread over an area of about 75 acres in the Asanur village in Kallakurichi district, according to a press release from IOCL. It would serve the eight districts of Cuddalore, Kallakurichi, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Vellore, and Villupuram in Tamil Nadu besides Puducherry, approximately.
Mr. Modi dedicated to the nation various railway and road development projects, including the doubling of 41.4-km Salem–Magnesite Junction–Omalur–Mettur Dam section and 160 km long Madurai–Thoohukudi section and electrified lines in Tiruchi-Manamadurai-Virudhunagar; Virudhunagar–Tenkasi Junction; and Sengottai–Tenkasi Junction-Tirunelveli-Tiruchendur sections.
The 39-km four-lane Tiruchi–Kallagam section of NH 81; 60-km long 4/2-lane Kallagam–Meensurutti section of NH-81; 29-km four-lane road of Chettikulam-Natham section of NH-785; 80-km two-lane with paved shoulder of Karaikudi–Ramanathapuram section of NH 536; and 44-km four-lane section of NH 179A Salem-Tirupathur-Vaniyambadi Road were among the road projects commissioned.
Foundation stones were laid for other road projects, including the construction of 31-km four-lane road from Mugaiyur to Marakkanam of NH 332A. The road will connect ports on the East Coast of Tamil Nadu, enhance road connectivity to Mamallapuram and Kalpakkam Atomic Power Plant.
A 500-bed men’s hostel, christened ‘Amethyst’, of National Institute of Technology (NIT)-Tiruchi was among the other projects inaugurated by the Prime Minister.