Chanakya TV founder and seasoned journalist Rangaraj Pandey has come down heavily on the Dravidianists and followers of actor-turned-politician Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam supporters with respect to the Parandur airport issue.
Pandey clarified that it was the state government that decides where a specific project must come up within the state when the central government makes a decision – be it building an AIIMS hospital or an airport or any other infrastructure.
Speaking to Galatta media’s Devendran, Pandey said, “Just ask him where he wants it built, whether in Panayur, or Gopalapuram, or Poes Garden. The city is growing. The intent is to expand Chennai Airport. The present Chennai Airport cannot be expanded. They tried two or three nearby like Whitefield/greenfield, but nothing happened. Then they decided to move it to the other side. The idea is to have another airport for Chennai Airport. They may make one international, one local, something like that. That is the idea. Then this should be within Chennai, Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur or Chengalpet. If you look at it technically, if I am not wrong, as per revenue records, the present Chennai airport itself is not in the Chennai district, it may be Kanchipuram district. The name is Chennai International Airport, but it does not have Chennai PIN code in the first place. It could be the Kanchipuram district PIN code. What can be done about that? It will be like that only. You have to build one within Kanchipuram, Thiruvallur, Chengalpattu, or Chennai districts, where else can you do it? You can’t call it Chennai airport and build it in Pudukkottai. “
Taking a dig at TVK leader Vijay, he said, “Secondly, Vijay has developed a habit – no matter what he talks about, he always does this – “one punch in the coconut tree, one punch in the palm tree” – take a dig at both the centre and state and make himself “unique“. He would say the Union government has done this, the State government has done this. In this matter, he must explain what the Union government has done. Tamil Nadu government has indicated that the present Chennai Airport is not enough for the rising footfalls. So the centre asks the state govt to look for a place and build another airport – it is the job of the Airport Authority of India to build an airport, it is the job of the state government to give the required land for that.”
He further explained the process by which the state government is involved in the selection of a specific land parcel/location in the state of a designated project. He said, “Recently, the notification for this land was published in the papers – 5-6 pages. Check out who gave the advertisement – was it Amit Shah or Narendra Modi? The advertisement lists the district collector’s name! Similarly, the central government will only say it will build AIIMS hospital, it is the state government that should decide where it must be built. Earlier since Mr. Anbumani Ramadoss is from Salem, it was planned for that city. Then they said let’s do it at Trichy since it is in the middle, then it was discussed to be in Madurai. Then, it was decided to be built in Kappalur. One must not forget that the land for this project is being given by the Tamil Nadu government. It was the same Tamil Nadu government that also decided that we can build an airport in Enathur and Paranthur.“
"பரந்தூர் வேணாம்னா பனையூர் இல்ல கோபாலபுரத்தில் வெச்சுகலாமா ?"
பங்கம் 😂👌🏼#Annamalai | #ParandurAirport | #Parandur pic.twitter.com/XdedYpzXt7
— ᴋᴀʀᴛʜɪ (@SaffronTwitz) January 20, 2025
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