Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin has expressed his strong disapproval of the State government’s decision to drop the plan to construct an airport at Parandur near Chennai. In a social media post, Stalin stated that this decision is not a change but an irreversible setback for Tamil Nadu’s growth, which will set the State’s development back by several years.
Stalin emphasized that Tamil Nadu, a leader in various sectors such as electronics exports and automobiles, requires a world-class airport in its capital, making the rejection of the project a massive disappointment. He pointed out that the site for the airport was carefully selected after evaluating all available alternatives, and the land acquisition process, along with several stages of preparatory work and approvals, had already been completed.
The former Chief Minister also mentioned that the DMK government had drawn up plans to ensure that construction could begin at a rapid pace once they returned to office. However, if the new government starts all over again, identifies another location, and goes through the entire process before work can even begin, Tamil Nadu’s growth trajectory itself will drop. Stalin warned that this decision threatens to push the State to the bottom of the table, making it a jackpot for competing States.
Furthermore, Stalin stated that without industrial growth, economic targets of one trillion USD or 1.5 trillion USD are simply impossible to achieve. He added that this decision by the TVK government is a devastating blow to the employment dreams of Tamil Nadu’s youth. Former Finance and Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu also echoed Stalin’s sentiments, saying that Parandur was the appropriate location for a greenfield airport and that the project was dropped only for political reasons.
Thennarasu pointed out that the DMK government had proposed to acquire 5,740 acres for the Parandur airport and had already acquired 90% of the land. He questioned the purpose of the acquired land, as it cannot be used for any purpose other than the original project. Thennarasu also emphasized that only a greenfield airport would help industries, and the decision will affect industrial investment, as Tamil Nadu tops in the import of electronic goods.
The DMK members walked out from the House over the Speaker’s refusal to allow them to speak on the issue, with Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar stating that no discussion could be permitted after an announcement was made under Rule 110 of the Assembly.
