Chennai, Aug 29:
BJP Tamil Nadu president Nainar Nagendran on Friday questioned the state government’s approach to the proposed Parandur and Hosur airport projects, asking Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay why agricultural land concerns were cited to drop the Parandur project while the government continued to back the proposed airport at Hosur.
In a statement, Nagendran pointed to the recent decision to drop the Parandur airport project after the government cited the impact on agricultural land.
He then referred to Friday’s Assembly exchange, in which AIADMK MLA P Balakrishna Reddy sought the withdrawal of the Hosur airport proposal over its impact on farmers.
Revenue Minister KA Sengottaiyan responded that agricultural land would have to be acquired for the Hosur project and that there was no alternative if the airport was to be constructed.
Nagendran questioned what he described as a contradictory approach.
“If agricultural land is the reason for rejecting the Parandur project, the same principle should apply to Hosur,” he argued.
He also questioned the government’s decision to move away from Parandur despite the location’s proximity to major industrial areas and the Chennai-Bengaluru National Highway.
The BJP leader alleged that the ruling party was showing special consideration towards Parandur while being prepared to acquire agricultural land elsewhere for development projects.
He questioned the rationale behind pursuing Hosur while dropping Parandur and accused the government of adopting different standards for the two projects.
Nagendran’s remarks add another political dimension to the growing controversy surrounding the state’s airport expansion plans.
The Hosur project has already faced objections from farmers and local representatives, while the government’s decision on Parandur has become a reference point in the debate over land acquisition and infrastructure development.
The issue is likely to remain politically contentious as the government weighs the demand for new aviation infrastructure against concerns over agricultural land and the livelihood of farmers.