Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President K Annamalai on Monday spoke on the issue of Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) President and actor Vijay supporting the Parandur airport expansion plan and said that the selection of land was a state subject and had to be understood keeping in mind that Chennai’s airport was a major one in the country.
Speaking to the media, Annamalai said: “The whole of Tamil Nadu wants a new airport but we need to understand that the selection of land is a state subject.
Among the major airports in the country, Chennai is a very major airport. However, it is very congested and is just 1,000 acres.
Also read: TVK's Vijay vows support to farmers, targets DMK in Parandur project
Right now, the passenger carrying capacity is 2.5 crore and in next 10 years we are expecting it to be high. Even Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam when they were in government spoke of two airports... now the land has been given to the central government who chose the Parandur land for the airport....”
Further, he said that the suggestions by the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam President were valid but questioned on what was the alternate site proposed for the airport.
“Chennai needs a new airport…. Whatever suggestions Vijay has he can give it to the state government... Tamil Nadu needs more airports.,” he said.
He, further, added: “We are with the people of Parandur… however we cannot be opposing everything… the state government needs to understand and this blame shifting is not called good politics.”
Meanwhile, TMK President Vijay assured protesting farmers in Parandur that he would stand with them in the airport expansion plan issue and urged State and Union government to restudy the airport project.
Villagers were protesting against Chennai’s second airport project at Parandur.
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