Tuticorin/Chennai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday hailed the recent free-trade agreement (FTA) with the United Kingdom, saying it showed world’s trust on India, and the country’s self-confidence.

Asserting that the government will ensure a developed India, and a developed Tamil Nadu with this self-confidence, the PM laid the foundation stone, and inaugurated multiple development projects worth over Rs 4,800 crore in Tuticorin. He reached the city directly after completing his state visit to Maldives.

The Prime Minister inaugurated and dedicated to the nation several projects across various sectors that will boost regional connectivity, improve logistics efficiency, strengthen clean energy infrastructure, etc.

The PM has inaugurated the New Terminal Building at Tuticorin Airport developed at a cost of around Rs 450 crore. Spread across 17,340 square meters, the terminal will be equipped to handle 1,350 passengers during peak hours and 20 lakh passengers annually.

He also dedicated to the nation two strategically significant highway projects. The first is the 4-laning of the 50 km Sethiyathope–Cholapuram stretch of NH-36, developed at more than Rs 2,350 crore under the Vikravandi–Thanjavur corridor. The second project is the 6-laning of the 5.16 km NH-138 Tuticorin Port Road, built at around Rs 200 crore.

The PM inaugurated North Cargo Berth–III with a cargo handling capacity of 6.96 MMTPA at VO Chidambaranar Port worth around Rs 285 crore.

Modi also dedicated three key railway infrastructure projects in southern Tamil Nadu to boost sustainable and efficient connectivity. This includes: electrification of the 90 km Madurai–Bodinayakkanur line, Rs 650 crore doubling of the 21 km Nagercoil Town–Kanniyakumari section (part of the Thiruvananthapuram–Kanniyakumari project), doubling of the Aralvaymozhi–Nagercoil Junction (12.87km) and Tirunelveli–Melappalayam (3.6 km) sections.

He also laid the foundation stone for a major power transmission project – the Inter-State Transmission System (ISTS) for evacuation of electricity from Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 (2×1000 MW). This project, developed at a cost of around Rs 550 crore, will include a 400 kV (quad) double-circuit transmission line from Kudankulam to the Tuticorin-II GIS substation and associated terminal equipment.