The Tamil Nadu government has officially announced that the proposed plan for a second airport for Chennai at Parandur will be dropped. Parandur, located about 60km from west of Chennai, has seen long-drawn protests against the airport proposed by the previous MK Stalin government.
Chief Minister Vijay on Monday said a new airport will be proposed at a location where there is no opposition from the people. The new location will be decided after a careful study of technical feasibility by expert teams, he said.
ALSO READ: Fissures emerge between Left and TVK over Tamil Nadu’s anti-protest circular
Deep Dive
Why was the plan for the second airport in Parandur dropped?
What will happen to the proposal for a new airport location in Tamil Nadu?
How did the previous government approach the airport project at Parandur?
Vijay said the decision to cancel the project was taken to prevent relocation of a large number of people and protect agricultural land in the area. He also slammed the previous DMK government for picking the largely populated area.
Protests against Parandur airport
Former chief minister M K Stalin had, on August 2, 2022, announced the plan to build a second airport at Parandur at an estimated cost of ₹20,000 crore. The airport was expected to have an annual capacity of 10 crore passengers.
{{/usCountry}}Former chief minister M K Stalin had, on August 2, 2022, announced the plan to build a second airport at Parandur at an estimated cost of ₹20,000 crore. The airport was expected to have an annual capacity of 10 crore passengers.
{{/usCountry}}Soon after the announcement by the state government in 2022, residents of Parandur and its nearby villages staged protests for over a year against the then DMK regime claiming that the greenfield project would affect their livelihood.
ALSO READ: Free bus travel scheme for women amped, free LPG cylinders: Tamil Nadu CM Vijay's big announcements
In January 2025, Vijay who was the President of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam joined the protest at Parandur and extended his party’s support to the agitating villagers.
Vijay announces LPG scheme
The Tamil Nadu CM also announced a major LPG scheme in the Assembly. “Under the Annapooranai Super Six scheme, free LPG cylinders will be provided to every household in Tamil Nadu from Pongal onwards, beginning January 14. The Tamil Nadu government will credit the amount for three cylinders directly into consumers’ bank accounts," said Vijay.
An amount of ₹4,000 crore will be allocated every year for the scheme which will benefit 1 crore 30 lakh families.
“Families with an annual income of less than ₹2.5 lakh, small and marginal farmers’ families, families with differently abled members and other vulnerable sections will benefit from the scheme," he said.