Tamil Nadu to explore industrial projects using land acquired for Parandur airport: Minister Keerthana

The government would take measures to generate employment and promote economic growth in Parandur, says the State Minister for Industries

Updated - August 25, 2026 06:23 pm IST - CHENNAI

Tamil Nadu Industries Minister S. Keerthana. File | Photo Credit: S. Siva Saravanan

Tamil Nadu Minister for Industries S. Keerthana, on Tuesday (August 25, 2026), told the Assembly the State government would explore the possibilities of alternative industrial projects without affecting the livelihoods of people by effectively utilising the land acquired for the now-scrapped Parandur Greenfield Airport project in Kancheepuram district.

Speaking during the debate on the Industries, Investment Promotion and Commerce Department, Ms. Keerthana said the government would take measures to generate employment and promote economic growth in Parandur. She also said steps were being taken to construct an elevated road connecting Tambaram-Maduravoyal bypass and the proposed new terminal at Chennai airport.

While speaking, DMK MLA S. Austin cited data from a website on investments attracted during the first quarters of the financial years 2021-22 and 2026-27, comparing Tamil Nadu with a few other States. Ms. Keerthana objected to the citing of data from the website and termed it incorrect. She said discussing unverified data in the House would mislead investors.

The Industries Minister said attracting investments and promoting industrial growth in Tamil Nadu was a sensitive issue that went beyond politics. As investors were watching the developments, she urged all members to extend their cooperation to achieve the target of making Tamil Nadu a $1.5 trillion economy by 2036.

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Citing the Minister’s reply, Mr. Austin questioned whether investors would not be misled when Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced in the Assembly under Rule 110 on August 24 that the Parandur Greenfield Airport project would be scrapped.

Minister for Public Works Aadhav Arjuna intervened and said if the choice was between the Parandur airport and the interests of farmers, Mr. Vijay would always stand with the farmers. He said Mr. Vijay’s first public outreach was to the farmers of Parandur and alleged that the DMK had acted against the interests of farmers in Parandur and invoked the Goondas Act against farmers who opposed the SIPCOT expansion project in Tiruvannamalai.

He said the TVK-led government’s position was to find a new parcel of land for the second airport and expand the infrastructure in existing Chennai airport. He alleged the DMK was falsely portraying the scrapping of the Parandur Airport project as a move that would bring Tamil Nadu’s industrial growth to a standstill.

He also claimed when the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Parandur airport project was being prepared, members belonging to a particular political party had purchased land in nearby locations with the intention of engaging in real estate business. “After five years from now, we will come up with a White Paper which would show that the State’s economy would have grown ten times from now.”

Meanwhile, AIADMK floor leader Edappadi K. Palaniswami said since 90% of the land required for the Parandur airport project had already been acquired and compensation had been paid to the landowners by the State government, he demanded that the government disclose whether it was going to return the land to the landowners.

Minister for Energy Resources and Law C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar said the Parandur airport project required 5,846 acres of land, of which 3,274 acres were patta land and 1,972 acres were government land. The government had acquired 1,802 acres of land, which was 48%, not 90%. He said not even one cent of land had been acquired in four villages.

Mr. Kumar said the existing Chennai airport could handle 30 million passengers annually. The capacity would increase to 35 million once the ongoing construction of Terminal 3 was completed. Once the proposed Terminal 5 became operational, the Chennai airport could handle 55 million passengers.

A heated debate broke out when Mr. Kumar named a private real estate company and questioned whether the Parandur airport was planned for that company’s “son-in-law”. Both DMK and TVK MLAs rose and started shouting. DMK MLA and former Industries Minister Thangam Thennarasu said, “If the Law Minister wants to take forward the debate in the same tone, then I could also pay you in the same currency.” By naming a business, Mr. Thennarasu questioned whether the TVK-led government wanted to find a parcel of land for the new airport for that business’s “son-in-law.”