CHENNAI: The TVK and DMK engaged in a war of words in the Assembly over the state government’s decision to scrap the Parandur airport project. Responding to questions on the project, Law Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar alleged that “G Square Mappillai” had benefited from the proposal and that those who had invested black money in real estate were opposing the decision to scrap the project. Taking exception to the remarks, the DMK MLAs stood up and shouted in the Assembly.
DMK MLA Thangam Thennarasu, condemning Nirmal Kumar’s statement, retorted, “For which lottery son-in-law is the new airport project being developed?” He added, “We can also pay back in your own coin.” He also said the final project location was selected by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and was not solely decided by the previous state government.
Thennarasu said multiple locations, including Sholinganallur, Padalam and Pannur, were studied before Parandur was finalised as the site for the proposed airport. “Finally, Pannur and Parandur were shortlisted. Considering technical feasibility, land acquisition costs and the number of people likely to be affected, we chose Parandur, and the proposal was subsequently approved by the Ministry of Civil Aviation. We have no real estate interests in the project. If a new location is identified, the same challenges will arise there too,” he said.
Industries Minister S Keerthana questioned why the previous DMK regime had not taken steps to expand the existing Meenambakkam airport, despite the centre’s approval for the project and the fact that the expansion would not require the eviction of people.
Nirmal Kumar said the expansion of terminals 2 and 5 at Meenambakkam would increase the airport’s annual passenger-handling capacity from the current 30 million to 55 million, which would be 10 million more than Bengaluru airport’s capacity. How will the state’s investment be affected, he asked.
Nirmal Kumar further said that not even one cent of land had been acquired in four villages — Ekanapuram, Karai, Thandalam and Siruvalur — which had opposed the project. “The villagers have been protesting for more than 1,000 days and were even prepared to migrate to Andhra Pradesh in opposition to the acquisition.
A majority of the private land parcels were acquired from people who do not reside in the villages by forcibly transferring the compensation amount into their bank accounts. We cannot make our own people refugees in their own land,” he said.
PWD Minister Aadhav Arjuna termed the entire Parandur airport project a “real estate scam” and urged the CM to order an investigation into it. “We have no political reasons for dropping the project. A corruption-free government will bring in more investments than anything else,” he said.