Chennai, Aug 29:
The proposed Hosur airport project came under sharp scrutiny in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Friday, with former minister and AIADMK MLA P Balakrishna Reddy urging the government to reconsider the project over its impact on agricultural land, while Revenue Minister KA Sengottaiyan said land acquisition would be unavoidable for major development projects.
Participating in the debate on the demands for grants for the Housing and Urban Development Department, Reddy said farmers in and around Hosur had been opposing the proposed airport and urged the government to take their concerns seriously.
He pointed to the government’s decision to drop the proposed Parandur airport project after concerns over agricultural land and the livelihood of farmers. Reddy argued that the same principle should be applied to Hosur if the project would similarly affect cultivable land.
“Hosur farmers have already given up their lands for various industrial projects, including SIPCOT,” Reddy said, stressing that people in the region had parted with substantial portions of their agricultural holdings for industrial development.
He urged the government to engage with farmers and explore alternatives instead of proceeding with land acquisition.
Responding to the demand, Revenue Minister KA Sengottaiyan said acquiring agricultural land would be inevitable for implementing development projects.
“Whenever a project has to be brought in, agricultural land has to be acquired. There is no other way,” Sengottaiyan said.
The minister rejected the suggestion that agricultural land could be completely spared for the airport, terming such a demand impractical.
The exchange assumes significance as the government has recently scrapped the Parandur airport proposal, citing concerns including the impact on agricultural land. The Hosur project could now become a fresh political flashpoint, with questions being raised over whether the government would apply the same yardstick to both projects.
The issue is also likely to intensify political debate over the balance between infrastructure development, industrial expansion and protection of agricultural livelihoods.