TN Govt Reviews Finances, Airports as AMCA Project Slips to Andhra

C Shivakumar @ CHENNAI:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Joseph Vijay on Thursday held a review meeting with officials from the Industries and Finance departments, amid heightened attention on the State’s fiscal position and key infrastructure projects.

The meeting assumes significance as the Chief Minister, during his oath-taking ceremony, announced plans to release a white paper on Tamil Nadu’s finances while flagging the State’s debt burden of ₹10 lakh crore.

The review with the Industries Department is also being closely watched as uncertainty persists over the proposed Parandur airport project following the poll promise made to residents of Ekanapuram to halt land acquisition and prevent the displacement of villagers.

Officials from both departments described the interaction as a routine review meeting. However, it comes at a crucial juncture as the new government prepares to roll out its first Budget and recalibrate its industrial strategy.

When asked whether discussions covered the proposed airports at Hosur and Parandur, officials declined to comment. The issue gains importance in the backdrop of Tamil Nadu losing out to Andhra Pradesh in securing the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) flight testing and integration complex — a landmark defence aerospace project linked to India’s fifth-generation stealth fighter programme. The groundbreaking ceremony for the facility is scheduled to be held on May 15 at Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh.

Tamil Nadu has proposed a 3,000-acre aerospace and aviation development in Hosur, including a greenfield airport and a dedicated manufacturing hub for the Defence Research and Development Organisation’s (DRDO) AMCA programme. Located near the Bengaluru border, the project is aimed at strengthening the State’s footprint in defence and aerospace manufacturing.

A senior government official said Tamil Nadu’s inability to secure the AMCA-linked project was linked to delays in obtaining clearances for the proposed Hosur airport. “Approvals involving defence considerations typically go through multiple layers of scrutiny and iterations with the Centre,” the official said.