Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu) (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects across Tamil Nadu worth about Rs 5,650 crore, on Wednesday and said these projects would create thousands of jobs for the youth of the state.

Also, he flagged off two Amrit Bharat Express trains: the Nagercoil–Charlapalli Amrit Bharat Express and the Podanur (Coimbatore)–Dhanbad Amrit Bharat Express, two express trains: the Rameswaram–Mangaluru Express and the Tirunelveli–Mangaluru Express, and a new train service between Mayiladuthurai-Thiruvarur-Karaikkudi, strengthening rail connectivity between Tamil Nadu and other regions, including Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala and eastern India.

In the petroleum sector, the Prime Minister laid the foundation stone for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited’s City Gas Distribution Network in Nilgiris and Erode districts at an investment of more than Rs 3,680 crore. The project will provide PNG connections to over 8.8 lakh households, supply gas to more than 200 commercial establishments and establish over 201 CNG stations.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said these projects were important for the future of Tamil Nadu.

"It's related to projects worth Rs 5600 crore. These projects are about infrastructure, for clean energy, petroleum-related manufacturing, highways, railways and rural roads. They will boost energy access, connectivity and create thousands of jobs for the youth of Tamil Nadu," he said.

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Kolkata (PTI): The Election Commission of India on Thursday handed over the probe into the gherao of the seven judicial officers in West Bengal's Malda district to the NIA, following a Supreme Court directive.

Observing that West Bengal was the "most polarised state", the Supreme Court delivered a stinging indictment of the state administration after seven judicial officers engaged in SIR exercise were held hostage by protesters in Malda district and directed a CBI or NIA probe into the incident.

In an April 2 letter to the National Investigating Agency, the poll body referred to the apex court's order and directed it to probe the Wednesday incident.

Talking to PTI, a top official of the poll body said the NIA team would reach West Bengal on Friday.

Slamming the state administration for its "complete failure" and inaction over the "deplorable" gherao and attack on the officers during the Special Intensive Revision(SIR) of the voters list, the court also asked the EC to "requisition adequate Central Forces and deploy them at all places where judicial officers are adjudicating the objections".

West Bengal will have a two-phase poll -- on April 23 and 29.

The Supreme Court further said the incident was a "brazen attempt not only to browbeat the judicial officers" but also amounted to a challenge to the authority of this Supreme Court.

The top court gave the order after it took suo motu cognisance of a letter from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court detailing a harrowing night where the judicial officers, including three women and a five-year-old child, were held captive by a mob for over nine hours without food or water.

The incident occurred during the SIR exercise in the Kaliachowk area of Malda district, and as per the order, seven judicial officers were gheraoed by "anti-social elements" at a BDO office starting at 3:30 PM on Wednesday.

The officers were rescued by security forces around midnight on Wednesday after they were gheraoed over the alleged deletion of names from the electoral rolls, officials said.