As Vijay govt scraps Parandur airport, DMK alleges ‘Telugu lobby’ at work
Opposition leaders question what will happen to the 70 pc of land acquired for the project, say a new project may take another decade to materialise
In a decision that invited sharp barbs from the Opposition, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Monday (August 24) officially confirmed that his government will not go ahead with the long-proposed second airport for Chennai at Parandur, keeping in mind the interests of farmers and local communities.
Expansion of existing airport
The TVK leader, who made the declaration under Rule 110 in the Legislative Assembly, also assured that alternative sites have been identified and will be studied and finalised soon.
He said the government will also focus on expanding Meenambakkam airport with a new Terminal-5 to raise its capacity to 55 million passengers annually. “A new airport will be proposed at a location where there is no opposition from the people,” the chief minister assured the House.
Farmers vs development
Accusing the previous DMK government of selecting land that would have wiped out wide tracts of agricultural land, Vijay said his government will abandon the steps taken to establish the Parandur airport.
“Farmers are the backbone of the country,” he said.
Also read: Vijay govt scraps Parandur airport project; announces free LPG, bus travel schemes
“Chennai Meenambakkam International Airport currently has the capacity to handle 30 million passengers a year. Considering industrial development and passenger convenience, a new airport is needed. The location selected for the new airport should not affect farmers or result in the large-scale displacement of residential areas. However, the previous government took steps to establish the airport in a manner that would affect a large extent of agricultural land and a large number of residential areas... This government will abandon the steps taken to establish the Parandur airport.”
Political gimmick, says DMK, stages walkout
The announcement immediately triggered a walkout by DMK members. Party legislators staged a protest exit, branding the cancellation a “political gimmick.”
DMK leaders quickly escalated their criticism. Spokesperson TKS Elangovan argued that the state government lacked the authority to scrap the project unilaterally: “He cannot drop it. The Civil Aviation Ministry is under the control of the Government of India, not the Tamil Nadu government... It is the Civil Aviation Ministry that has to announce this.”
Also read: Parandur shelved: Why Vijay govt is betting on expanding Chennai airport instead
DMK's Kanimozhi NVN Somu called it “a very bad decision because 70 per cent of the land acquisition work has already been completed. They should reconsider it.”
DMK warns of economic damage
Former minister Thangam Thennarasu warned of deeper economic fallout. “The airport is essential for the economic growth of Tamil Nadu. Dropping the Parandur Airport project for political reasons will cause economic damage. Many industries will move towards Andhra Pradesh. We have already lost the Hosur Airport,” he said.
He noted that Parandur had been selected after extensive technical studies and central approvals, and that compensation had already been paid to landowners. Under the Land Acquisition Act, he reminded, acquired land must be used only for the stated purpose.
Allegations of Telugu lobby
The DMK narrative has also introduced a sharper regional angle, claiming a “Telugu lobby” is working against Tamil Nadu’s interests. This allegation has gained traction among critics who see neighbouring Andhra Pradesh as the potential beneficiary of any delay in Chennai’s aviation capacity.
Outside the Assembly, reactions have been equally polarised. Political analyst Sumanth Raman described the decision as “a real disaster for Tamil Nadu,” stating that the chief minister “has shown that he lacks the pragmatism needed to make governance a success.”
Also read: Parandur airport: Environmentalist explains why Ekanapuram was excluded from talks
He compared the move to the style of a “Tughluq government”, pointing at the impulsive style of governance of eccentric Emperor Muhammad bin Tughluq, and warned that it would push Chennai further behind as a “backwater in India.”
Senior Journalist Ramakrishnan T said, “Chief Minister Vijay’s announcement that we are abandoning the Parandur airport project will push Tamil Nadu backwards economically. Already, Bengaluru and Hyderabad have pushed Chennai airport backwards.”
New airport may take another decade: Annamalai
BJP leader K Annamalai struck a more measured but urgent note, acknowledging the cancellation while stressing the opportunity cost: the process of identifying a new site, securing clearances, acquiring land and completing construction could take another decade. He pointed out that Chennai’s existing airport, limited to roughly 1,300 acres, already lags far behind Hyderabad (5,500 acres), Bengaluru (4,000 acres) and others in capacity and capability to handle large aircraft.
“Chennai was once the gateway of South India. Today, Chennai airport ranks 5th,” he observed, urging the government to accelerate the search for an alternative.
DMK functionary Dr TRB. Rajaa called it an “extremely sad day,” warning that neighbouring states would quietly celebrate as Tamil Nadu has “shot itself in the foot.”
Cong backs govt, cites AAI report
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president and Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore, however, has strongly backed the government’s move. Tagore said the move is not a victory for any political party but a long-overdue acknowledgement of facts already on record.
“For seven years, the farmers of Ekanapuram and neighbouring villages fought to protect their land and livelihoods,” he noted, adding that the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee’s position is grounded in the Airports Authority of India (AAI)’s own 2022 feasibility report.
That study had clearly flagged Parandur’s serious drawbacks: the site is surrounded by water bodies, more than a quarter of the land is covered by irrigation tanks, and a 201-hectare man-made lake lies just 1.4 km from the boundary, precisely the low-lying and waterlogged conditions now cited for cancellation.
Also read: Why is Parandur airport disaster in waiting? Interview with aviation expert Captain Mohan Ranganatha
The Congress leader, however, urged the state government to announce a clear, time-bound commitment to identify and clear an alternative site for Chennai’s second airport through proper assessment and community consent.
'Return acquired land to farmers'
Environmental group Poovulagin Nanbargal too welcomed the move, demanding that acquired land be returned to farmers and praising the government for honouring its pre-election stance against destroying water bodies and farmland.
During the previous DMK government, around 1,700 acres of the total 5,746 acres of land needed for the project were already acquired, while ₹1,822 crore was earmarked for compensation, with roughly 70 per cent of payments already disbursed to landowners. The project had also secured multiple clearances from central agencies, including site approval from the AAI.
