On the evening of July 26, PM Modi will address a public event in Tuticorin where he will inaugurate the new terminal building at Tuticorin Airport. Developed at a cost of ₹450 crore, the modern terminal covers 17,340 sq m and is designed to handle 1,350 passengers during peak hours and up to 20 lakh passengers annually, with provisions for future expansion, according to an official statement.
The facility incorporates energy-efficient systems and sustainable design, targeting a GRIHA-4 rating. This new terminal is expected to significantly boost regional air connectivity and stimulate tourism, trade, and economic growth in southern Tamil Nadu.
The Prime Minister will dedicate two major highway projects to the nation. The first is the four-laning of the 50-km Sethiyathope–Cholapuram stretch of National Highway 36, developed at a cost of over ₹2,350 crore as part of the Vikravandi–Thanjavur corridor. This project includes bypasses, major bridges, flyovers, and underpasses, which are expected to reduce travel time and improve connectivity to the Delta region.
The second project involves the six-laning of a 5.16-km stretch of NH-138 connecting Tuticorin Port, constructed at a cost of approximately ₹200 crore. This upgrade is expected to ease cargo movement and support industrial development around the port.
Enhancing maritime infrastructure, PM Modi will inaugurate the North Cargo Berth–III at V.O. Chidambaranar Port, built at a cost of around ₹285 crore. With a handling capacity of 6.96 million metric tonnes per annum, the berth will improve efficiency in managing dry bulk cargo and strengthen the port’s role as a logistics hub.
In the railway sector, the Prime Minister will dedicate three key projects aimed at enhancing sustainable transportation in southern Tamil Nadu. These include the electrification of the 90-km Madurai–Bodinayakkanur railway line and the doubling of the Nagercoil Town–Kanniyakumari (21 km) and Aralvaymozhi–Nagercoil Junction and Tirunelveli–Melappalayam (16.5 km combined) sections. Valued at around ₹650 crore, these projects will improve passenger and freight movement and enhance connectivity between Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
In the energy sector, PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) for evacuating electricity from Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4. This ₹550 crore project includes the construction of a 400 kV double-circuit transmission line from Kudankulam to the Tuticorin-II GIS substation. It is expected to strengthen the national power grid, ensure reliable distribution of clean energy, and help meet rising electricity demand in Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states.
On July 27, the Prime Minister will travel to Tiruchirappalli to participate in the Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival at the Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple. There, he will release a commemorative coin in honour of Emperor Rajendra Chola I, marking 1000 years since the Chola ruler’s historic maritime expedition to Southeast Asia and the commencement of the construction of the iconic temple.
Rajendra Chola I, who reigned from 1014 to 1044 CE, was one of India’s most powerful emperors, known for expanding the Chola Empire’s influence across South and Southeast Asia. Gangaikonda Cholapuram, which he established as his capital, is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a symbol of Chola architecture, Shaiva devotion, and administrative excellence.
The Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival also honours the Tamil Shaiva Bhakti tradition, supported by the Cholas and immortalised by the hymns of the 63 Nayanmars. This year’s celebration holds special significance, as the Thiruvathirai (Ardra) star, associated with Rajendra Chola’s birth, begins on July 23.
