Chennai, Feb 10 (IANS): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday highlighting the "inordinate delay" in the Centre's approval for Phase II of the Chennai Metro Rail (CMRL) project.

Chief Minister Stalin in the letter urged the Prime Minister to personally intervene and to expedite approval.

He also informed the Prime Minister that Tamil Nadu approved Phase II of the project with three more corridors covering 119 km at a total cost of Rs 63,246 crore and the same was recommended to the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) for its approval in January 2019.

He pointed out that this was submitted with the recommendation of the MoHUA and NITI Aayog.

Stalin pointed out that funding approvals from agencies like the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Asian Development Bank, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and New Development Bank were also formalised.

The foundation stone for the Phase II project was laid by Union Home Minister Amit Shah on November 21, 2020.

Stalin said that the proposal has been awaiting the approval of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) for more than two years.