M K Stalin Slams CM Vijay for Dropping Parandur Greenfield Airport Project

DMK president M K Stalin on Monday criticised Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for dropping the Parandur greenfield airport project, stating that Tamil Nadu's interests cannot be mortgaged for petty political considerations after land acquisition processes were almost completed.

Terming the rejection of the project conceived under the previous DMK regime as a massive disappointment, the former Chief Minister said the decision marks an irreversible setback for the state's industrial and economic development. Stalin stated that abandoning the site at Parandur will set the state back by several years and deal a devastating blow to the employment prospects of the youth.

Stalin also raised concerns over CM Vijay making the announcement in the Tamil Nadu Assembly under Rule 110, which disallows any discussion or debate on the floor of the House. He noted that Tamil Nadu leads the country in sectors such as automobile manufacturing and electronics exports, making a world-class airport in its capital essential.

According to Stalin, the site at Parandur was selected after evaluating all available alternatives, with multiple stages of preparatory work and approvals from relevant authorities already completed. He warned that if the TVK government starts over to identify a new location, Tamil Nadu's growth trajectory will decline and competing states will benefit.

Stalin highlighted that ambitious economic targets of 1 trillion USD or 1.5 trillion USD cannot be attained without robust industrial growth, adding that the decision was taken without foresight, planning, or consultation.

Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin also criticised the government's move in a post on X. He noted that the airport project had been initiated to address rising air passenger traffic and future requirements, having received approvals from the Airports Authority of India and the Union Civil Aviation Ministry. He pointed out that the previous DMK administration had invested substantial funds into providing three times compensation to landowners alongside resettlement packages, warning that dropping the initiative would lead to significant financial losses for the government.