CHENNAI: Alleging that the government is making false claims on the Parandur airport issue, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss urged the government to construct the new airport in Thiruporur instead.

Anbumani said that the DMK government is trying to shift the blame on the previous AIADMK government after initially boasting it as their achievement. Even though the site for the new airport was identified by the previous government in 2020, "two years ago, the government boasted that it had identified the land. After opposition from the people, it tries to shift the blame on the previous government. These are false claims intended to pacify the people in Parandur," he added.

Anbumani claimed that PMK has been demanding a new airport in Chennai for the last 20 years, citing that the handling capacity of the existing airport will become overwhelming. "At the same time, the party is urging not to create the airport on farmlands. PMK informed the government about the availability of more than 5,000 acres of uncultivated government land in Thiruporur," he recalled.

Saying that the government initially identified Thiruporur, Pattalam, Parandur and Pannur for the new airport, Anbumani alleged that the DMK government recommended Parandur for the new airport.

"In a public hearing meeting held in August 2022, I requested the government to set up the airport in Thiruporur. But, the government remains steadfast in constructing the airport in Parandur for some reason. The government avoided Thiruporur, citing the location of the Kalpakkam nuclear power plant and Air Force station in Tambaram. But, a naval station is located close to Parandur. With the present technology, the government can set up the airport in Thiruporur," he said.