Parandur airport scrapped: What happens to the land now?

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay officially terminated the proposed ₹27,400-crore Parandur greenfield airport project, ending years of opposition from villagers and farmers. However, this decision has raised a new question: what will become of the thousands of acres of land that were already seized for the project? Can the government return the land to the original owners? What does the Land Acquisition Act dictate? And what options does Tamil Nadu have now that the project has been abandoned?

The Land Acquisition Act governs how the government acquires private land for public projects. Under the Act, land can be acquired through a compulsory acquisition process if it is necessary for the public benefit. Once acquired, the government has the responsibility to return the land to the original owners, or use it for the intended project, within a reasonable timeframe. If the project is cancelled, the Act mandates that the land should be returned promptly to the original owners.

In Tamil Nadu, there have been previous instances where land acquired for projects was returned to the original owners after the projects were scrapped. For example, when the Tiruppur Metro project was cancelled, the government returned the land to the farmers who had been displaced. This precedent could potentially apply to the Parandur airport land.

However, the process of returning land through the Land Acquisition Act can be complex and time-consuming. The government must issue a notice of return to the affected landowners, and then negotiate the terms of the return. If the owners refuse to return the land voluntarily, the government can take it back through a legal process. This could involve court proceedings and potentially lead to disputes between the government and the landowners.

The future of the Parandur land is uncertain at this stage. If the government decides to return the land, it would likely need to find alternative land for any future airport plans. This could involve identifying new sites and acquiring the necessary land through the Land Acquisition Act again. Alternatively, if the government decides not to return the land, it would need to find ways to repurpose the land, which could include using it for other infrastructure projects or developing it for residential or commercial use.