Congress backs TVK-led government’s decision to cancel Parandur airport project

Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president B. Manickam Tagore on Monday welcomed the Tamil Nadu government’s decision to cancel the Parandur Airport project and said the Congress stood for genuine consent and independent assessment of social impact before acquisition of land for major infrastructure projects.

In a statement, Mr. Tagore said the party supported the cancellation based squarely on the facts and the government’s own records.

“The government’s own study saw this coming — in 2022. The Airports Authority of India’s feasibility report, submitted in March 2022, recorded that Parandur was surrounded by water bodies, with more than a quarter of the site covered by irrigation tanks and a 201-hectare man-made lake just 1.4 km from the boundary. The very reasons cited in 2026 for cancellation — that the land is low-lying and waterlogged — were already on record three years earlier. The site did not hold up against the government’s own criteria. Compared with the alternative site at Pannur, Parandur was nearly two-and-a-half times farther from Chennai — 62 km versus 27.6 km — displaced around four times as many families — approximately 1,005 versus 250 — and required roughly twice the earthwork for filling and grading. Seven years of protest reflected a real and well-founded grievance. The people of Ekanapuram sustained their agitation for more than 1,000 days. This was not resistance to development. It was a community defending its land, water and livelihoods,” he said.

Mr. Tagore said: “This is not simply the failure of one party or one administration; it is a failure that cuts across governments and political timelines. The Congress has consistently stood for genuine consent and independent Social Impact Assessment before land is acquired for major infrastructure projects.”

Stating that the “legal process behind the land acquisition was deeply flawed”, he said the Congress’ position was based on “evidence, not political convenience.”

He added: “We want clarity on the future of their land within three months. We demand immediate release of the approximately 30% compensation still outstanding and restoration of basic civic infrastructure. There should be a genuine and transparent consultation process with affected communities for any future site chosen for Chennai’s second airport. Chennai does need greater aviation capacity. But no city’s growth should come at the cost of a community’s land, water, livelihoods and dignity without their genuine consent.”