00:00Okay, let's move on and get you also the other showdown that we've been seeing over the Parandur Airport.
00:05One of the biggest points that's constantly being made is look at Karnataka, look at Andhra Pradesh.
00:11I'm here in Bengaluru, I just flew in from Delhi and once again wowed really by the Bengaluru Airport.
00:17And the constant question that then comes up in your head is why can't Chennai have this?
00:21Why can't Chennai have this kind of amazing air infrastructure, this kind of an amazing airport?
00:26The reality is that while yes you have the Minam Bakkam Airport controlled by the AAI,
00:31it's not a patch really on the Bengaluru Airport or the Hyderabad Airport or any of the new ones that
00:36have come up.
00:37And now Parandur Airport, we've taken five steps back because that project is not going to go forward is what
00:42the TVK government has announced.
00:44Today in the Assembly, they've given more details of why they've chosen to call off this project.
00:50Highlighting that it's a result of corruption that this particular area was chosen despite farmers' objections.
00:57The TVK's contention is that a real estate mafia and they've taken the name of a realty firm called G
01:02-Square
01:03to suggest that they were the ones who were benefiting from the Parandur project.
01:07CTR, Nirmal Kumar, the minister, Adav Arjuna, all of them, Kirtana, they all spoke in the Assembly to highlight exactly
01:13this.
01:14That this was a DMK-backed project because former ministers had a whole lot of investment of real estate in
01:22that particular area.
01:23And so there was a full-fledged showdown in the Assembly on this particular issue with the DMK continuing to
01:28suggest
01:28that with the Parandur project being cancelled, we've taken 10 steps back as far as Tambanaru's development is concerned.
01:35Let's get you all of those updates.
01:48The Parandur airport dream may be over for Chennai.
01:58But inside the Tamil Nadu Assembly, the political turbulence is only beginning.
02:04TVK is now selling the Parandur decision as a victory for farmers.
02:09Arguing that rejecting the airport project was the right call.
02:39But there is a twist.
02:40While the airport may be off the table, the Tamil Nadu government still wants to put Parandur land to industrial
02:47use.
03:07And that has opened yet another front in the TVK-DMK war.
03:12The Parandur showdown quickly turned into a full-blown political slugfest in the Assembly.
03:18TVK took aim at former Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's son-in-law, linking him to the G-Square real
03:24estate firm which faced EDPro.
03:27And the DMK hit back, training its guns on Lottery King Santiago Martin's son-in-law and State Minister Ardha
03:35Varjun.
03:38TVK is still selling the G-Square real estate firm unless there are no one of his online money.
03:44But if you look at the G-Square, you can't do anything to do anything.
03:46If you look at the G-Square, stay full of your own liking.
03:47There is no one of you.
03:49Even if it's possible anyone who is, the one of you can do anything because they are the only one.
04:20As the accusations flew thick and fast, leader of opposition Udenidi, Stalin, turned up the heat.
04:27Once again challenging, the TVK government to put the files on the table.
05:00While the Parandur Airport project is grounded, the war between TVK and DMK is only taking off.
05:08With Pramod Madhav and Anuga Keshav, Bureau Report, India Today.
05:36State Mafia is at play here. DMK leaders had invested and that's why they have so much at stake.
05:41And that there was corruption involved.
05:43Is there going to though be a formal investigation into any of this, Anaka?
05:52Well, in fact, at the moment, the TVK has not spoken about any formal investigation.
05:56Till now, they have been making open allegations against the erstwhile DMK regime.
06:01Even take, for example, the three files that the Chief Minister spoke about that was lying on his table.
06:06For weeks together, they have been making allegations.
06:09But till now, the files have not been opened.
06:12And the Chief Minister says that he'll open when the right time comes.
06:15So, the bigger question that now rises is, for somebody who promised that he was going to be the change,
06:21why even wait for the right time to open those controversial files?
06:24If we really can prove that there were financial irregularities done by the previous DMK regime,
06:32then why the delay is the question that many, many are asking.
06:36But today, like we were talking, the Parandur Airport, that was the big showdown that happened in the Assembly.
06:41And therefore, the Tamiragavetri Karagam government has given a clarification saying that this empty land now will be used for
06:48industrial purpose.
06:49But then again, a bigger problem now arises.
06:51If the people who are living in Parandur, who gave away their land, will be okay with this land now
06:57being converted for an industrial estate,
06:59would they not ask for a higher compensation?
07:02Would they not knock the doors of court asking for a higher amount than what was given in promise of
07:07an airport?
07:07So, the TVK does have a big challenge ahead.
07:10It's not going to be black and white.
07:12It is really going to be an uphill task for the TVK to convince all those people who have given
07:17away their land to the government.
07:22No, you're right.
07:23You know, this kind of starts off a vicious cycle.
07:25On one hand is what, you know, we spoke of about the corruption allegations, whether this is an investigation.
07:30But the issue of land acquisition becomes so much more difficult now because anywhere now that the TVK scouts for
07:35land,
07:35the farmers or anyone owning that land will be up and up, saying, look, they managed to arm twist.
07:40We're going to be able to do it too by putting pressure.
07:42And it will obviously take political colors as well.
07:45You're right in highlighting that even within Parandur, there's going to be a challenge.
07:49The farmers met with Chief Minister Vijay earlier today to thank him as well.
07:53And then there's that question over Minambakam, the current airport in Chennai, which the TVK says will expand.
07:58There will be a Terminal 5 that comes up.
08:00What about then acquisition of land in that particular area?
08:03How will they manage to ensure that people who live in those areas are also made to move out without
08:09buckling
08:09or without leading to some sort of protest?
08:12So, it's a lot of complication.
08:13There's no doubt about that.
08:14But the TVK is continuing to maintain that this was the right decision.
Comments