Vijay’s big announcements create political storm: Free LPG for 1.34 crore families, expanded bus travel, Parandur airport dropped
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Monday announced a new welfare measure under which 1.34 crore families across the State will receive the cost of three LPG cylinders free of charge every year.
The benefit will cover eligible households with an annual income of up to Rs. 2.5 lakh, along with small and marginal farmers, families below the poverty line and other qualifying beneficiaries. The government expects the scheme to cost more than Rs. 4,000 crore annually.
The amount covering the three cylinders will be transferred directly to the bank accounts of eligible beneficiaries.
The State government has also decided to expand its free bus travel scheme for women. Under the new Vettri Payanam Thittam, women will be able to travel without charge on mofussil buses operating between districts.
The benefit will also cover express and deluxe services operated by the Metropolitan Transport Corporation in Chennai and transport corporations in cities including Madurai, Coimbatore and Tiruchy. The expanded scheme will begin on October 2.
At present, free travel for women is available only on ordinary buses and is subject to a distance limit. Vijay said the expanded programme would remove the 40-km restriction, while women would also face no limit on the number of trips or income-based eligibility.
The Tamil Nadu government has decided to abandon the proposed greenfield airport at Parandur and begin the search for an alternative location for Chennai’s second airport.
Making the announcement under Rule 110 in the Assembly, Vijay said he had personally visited Parandur last year and backed the residents of Ekanapuram and nearby villages who had opposed the airport project.
He said work was already under way to identify another suitable site. The proposed Parandur airport was planned across 5,746 acres. About 2,500 acres were privately owned, while the rest belonged to various government departments. The project was estimated to cost around Rs. 27,400 crore.
During the previous DMK government, approximately 1,700 acres of private land had reportedly been acquired from 12 villages in the Sriperumbudur and Kancheepuram taluks. Ekanapuram, which became a major centre of opposition to the project, was excluded from the acquisition.
DMK president and former Chief Minister MK Stalin strongly criticised the decision to abandon the Parandur airport project. Stalin argued that the project had been developed after detailed consideration of alternative locations and that significant progress had already been made on land acquisition, approvals and preparatory work.
According to him, abandoning Parandur and restarting the process at another location could delay Chennai’s second airport by several years and affect Tamil Nadu’s economic ambitions.
He also questioned the decision to make the announcement under Rule 110, saying that the provision prevented a detailed discussion in the Assembly on an issue of such importance.
Stalin maintained that Chennai urgently needs a modern second airport because of Tamil Nadu’s growing presence in industries such as automobiles and electronics. He also warned that prolonged delays could affect employment opportunities for young people in the State.
Leader of Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin also opposed the decision, saying the previous government had initiated the Parandur project in response to rising passenger numbers and Chennai’s future aviation requirements.
He claimed the project had secured approvals from the Airports Authority of India and the Union Civil Aviation Ministry. Udhayanidhi also pointed to the expenditure already incurred on land acquisition and rehabilitation. He said landowners had received compensation above the prescribed amount and arrangements had been made for resettlement. Dropping the project after these steps, he argued, could leave the government facing substantial financial losses.