Parandur Protest Movement Meets CM Vijay at Secretariat After Airport Project Dropped

Members of the Parandur Greenfield Airport Opposition Joint Movement met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay at the Secretariat in Chennai on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, to express their gratitude for the government's decision to drop the proposed Parandur Greenfield Airport project.

The meeting took place a day after the Chief Minister announced the decision to scrap the airport project in the State Assembly. Movement president G. Subramanian, secretary S.T. Kadhiresan, and other representatives met Mr. Vijay alongside Ministers N. Anand, Aadhav Arjuna, C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar, and K. Thennarasu.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting at the Secretariat, Mr. Subramanian noted that local residents and farmers had been protesting against the proposed airport for the past five years. He stated that during the previous DMK administration, the group had submitted documents to then Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and government officials explaining that the local geographical conditions were unsuitable for the project, though land acquisition efforts had continued.

Mr. Subramanian said that executing the airport project would have destroyed thousands of acres of farmland and wetland areas, as well as the 1,110-year-old historic Kamban Canal. He added that the implementation of the project would have severely affected the livelihoods of residents across the affected areas.

Recalling past interactions, Mr. Subramanian noted that Mr. Vijay had visited Parandur in January of the previous year as the president of the Tamizhaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) and pledged to cancel the project if his party came to power. He expressed appreciation that the Chief Minister had fulfilled that commitment upon taking office, describing the cancellation as an important milestone for safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers.

As a mark of appreciation, Mr. Subramanian announced that the residents of Ekanapuram village have decided to name a lane in their village as C. Joseph Vijay road. He also addressed public discussions regarding the decision, alleging that the DMK was spreading misleading claims that shelving the airport project would negatively impact the State's economy.