DMK president M.K. Stalin
| Photo Credit: PTI
Former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M.K. Stalin on Monday (August 24, 2026) said the State government’s decision to drop the plan to construct an airport at Parandur near Chennai, was not a change but an irreversible setback for Tamil Nadu’s growth.“It will set the State’s development back by several years. Tamil Nadu’s interests cannot be mortgaged for petty political considerations. An announcement of such far-reaching importance being made under Rule 110, shutting out any opportunity for debate or even for members to voice their views, is deeply troubling,” he said in a post on social media.Mr. Stalin said Tamil Nadu was a leader in the country across sectors, from electronics exports to automobiles, and that a world-class airport in its capital was not merely desirable but absolutely essential. “Rejecting such a vital project is not change. It is a massive disappointment,” he said.The former Chief Minister said the site had been 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.“We had drawn up plans to ensure that construction could begin at a rapid pace once we returned to office. If the new government now 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,” he said.Mr. Stalin said under the (erstwhile) “Dravidian Model” government, Tamil Nadu had become the first port of call for investors. “This decision threatens to push the State to the bottom of the table. The Chief Minister’s [C. Joseph Vijay] announcement is nothing short of a jackpot for competing States,” he said.“Without industrial growth, economic targets of one trillion USD or 1.5 trillion USD are simply impossible to achieve. Taken without foresight, planning or consultation, this decision by the TVK government is a devastating blow to the employment dreams of Tamil Nadu’s youth,” he added.DMK MLAs walk outFormer Finance and Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu (DMK) said Parandur was the appropriate location for a greenfield airport. He alleged the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam-led government had dropped the project only for political reasons. “If a scheme is dropped for political reasons, it will affect our economy,” he said after DMK members walked out from the House over the Speaker’s refusal to allow them to speak on the issue.Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar said no discussion could be permitted after an announcement was made under Rule 110 of the Assembly.Mr. Thennarasu said the DMK government had proposed to acquire 5,740 acres for the Parandur airport and had already acquired 90% of the land. “The team comprising me, former PWD Minister E.V. Velu, and T.M. Anbarasan, held several rounds of talks with the villagers. All of them, except people of one village, agreed and accepted compensation. As per the land acquisition rules, the land cannot be used for any purpose other than the original project. What will you do with the land?” he asked.Mr. Thennarasu said only a greenfield airport would help industries and the number of companies manufacturing electronic goods in Sriperumbudur had increased in the expectation that there would be a major airport nearby. “Tamil Nadu tops in the import of electronic goods. The decision will affect industrial investment,” he said.He also said the Bengaluru airport, which handles 5.5 lakh tonnes of cargo, was able to facilitate trade with European countries and that Chennai also needed a major airport for industrial development. “We have already extended the Metro Rail project up to Sunguvarchathiram because of the decision to build the airport at Parandur. What will happen to it?” he asked. Published - August 24, 2026 02:52 pm IST
