CHENNAI — A major political clash has broken out in Tamil Nadu following Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay’s formal announcement to shelve the proposed Parandur Greenfield Airport. Former Chief Minister and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) leader M.K. Stalin launched a scathing attack on the decision, warning that it will cripple the state’s economic expansion and push investment to neighboring states.
The announcement was delivered by Vijay during a Legislative Assembly session, citing the need to safeguard multi-crop farmland, local ecology, and waterbodies across 13 villages in Kancheepuram district.
Economic Targets at Risk, Warns Opposition
Reacting to the government’s pivot, Stalin described the cancellation as a severe blow to Tamil Nadu’s goal of reaching a $1 trillion economy. He defended the project’s engineering, noting it was designed to accommodate an ultimate capacity of 100 million passengers annually.
“Dropping Parandur is not change. It is an irreversible setback for Tamil Nadu’s growth,” Stalin declared. “Without industrial growth, economic targets of 1 trillion USD or 1.5 trillion USD are simply impossible to achieve. This decision by the TVK government is nothing short of a jackpot for competing states!”
The former Chief Minister highlighted critical steps taken during the DMK’s tenure:
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Clearances Obtained: The site had received in-principle approval from the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation in mid-2025.
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Land Acquisition Phase: Detailed site evaluations had been concluded and land acquisition procedures were near completion.
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Procedural Dispute: DMK legislators staged a walkout after Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar permitted the decision under Rule 110, restricting immediate debate on the Assembly floor.
State Government Promises Alternative Aviation Plan
Chief Minister Vijay reaffirmed his stance that large-scale infrastructure must not compromise agricultural livelihoods, honoring a key promise made to protesting local farmers in Kancheepuram.
“To fulfill the promise made to the people… the steps taken to establish a new airport in Parandur will be abandoned,” Vijay affirmed.
The administration stated that it will focus on expanding the existing airport infrastructure in Chennai while initiating a search for non-agricultural, ecologically safe alternative sites to accommodate long-term aviation demands.
