Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has announced a series of major welfare, transport and infrastructure measures, with the latest being the launch of 130 new air-conditioned electric buses in Chennai on August 25.
The buses, procured for ₹234.50 crore, are part of a larger plan to add 750 low-floor AC electric buses. The launch followed Vijay’s August 24 Assembly announcements expanding fare-free bus travel for women and transgender persons from October 2, with no income ceiling or limit on journeys, at an estimated annual cost of ₹6,000 crore.
He also announced three LPG-cylinder reimbursements annually for 1.30 crore eligible families from Pongal 2027, costing ₹4,000 crore a year. At the same time, Vijay shelved the proposed ₹27,000-crore Parandur greenfield airport, citing concerns over agricultural land and livelihoods, while saying Chennai still needs a second airport.
The decisions have drawn criticism from Opposition leaders, including former Chief Minister MK Stalin, who called the airport decision an “irreversible setback” for Tamil Nadu’s growth.
A Major Transport Expansion
The 130 electric buses launched on Tuesday are the first batch under the second phase of Chennai’s electric-bus programme. The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) plans to introduce another 750 low-floor AC electric buses at an estimated cost of ₹1,337 crore, with the new services operating from seven depots.
Vijay also flagged off 120 regular buses, taking Tuesday’s total to 250 new buses procured at a combined cost of ₹290.08 crore. The 130 electric buses alone cost ₹234.50 crore and are intended to improve passenger comfort while helping reduce pollution from diesel-powered public transport.
MTC already operates 625 low-floor electric buses procured at around ₹697 crore. During the launch at the Secretariat, Vijay boarded one of the new buses and spoke to the driver and conductors about its facilities and operations. Transport Minister A Vijay Tamilan Parthiban, Chief Secretary M Sai Kumar and senior officials were also present.
The transport push comes alongside a sweeping expansion of fare-free travel. Under the renamed Vettri Payanam scheme, women will be able to travel free on Express, Limited Stop Service and Deluxe government buses in metropolitan and urban areas, as well as ordinary-fare mofussil and hill-route buses.
Vijay said there would be “no income ceiling or number of trips” for beneficiaries. He described the policy as a way of ensuring that transport costs do not prevent women from accessing education, employment or essential services.
“Women’s freedom of travel serves as the foundation for their economic independence and the progress of their families,” Vijay said in the Assembly. The expanded scheme will begin on October 2, Gandhi Jayanti, and is expected to cost the state ₹6,000 crore annually.
LPG Relief And Political Questions
Vijay has also moved to implement the first phase of the Annapoorani Super Six scheme, a key TVK election promise. Instead of the six cylinders originally promised annually, eligible households will initially receive reimbursement for three LPG cylinders each year.
The scheme is expected to cover 1,30,16,104 families, with an annual household income criterion of around ₹2.5 lakh and provisions for economically vulnerable groups. The government has allocated ₹4,000 crore annually, with the scheme scheduled to begin during Pongal in January 2027.
Beneficiaries will purchase cylinders through the existing distribution system, with the eligible amount subsequently credited to their bank accounts. Vijay said the initiative was intended to ease the burden of rising household expenses and LPG costs. The government has also cited the recent shortage and price pressures surrounding cooking gas as part of the rationale.
However, the reduction from six promised cylinders to three in the first phase has opened a political debate over whether the government is fulfilling its electoral commitment in full. At the same time, the two welfare measures announced on August 24 expanded free bus travel and LPG reimbursement together represent an estimated annual expenditure of ₹10,000 crore.
The government therefore faces the challenge of delivering substantial household relief while maintaining fiscal room for infrastructure and other public services. The Parandur decision adds another dimension to that balancing act.
Vijay announced that the proposed second airport at Parandur would be abandoned because of its impact on agricultural land and the livelihoods of residents in the surrounding villages. He said Chennai still requires another airport and that alternative locations are being examined, while also announcing plans for a fifth terminal at the existing Meenambakkam airport.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
Vijay’s latest announcements underline how closely welfare, mobility, livelihoods and development are connected. Free public transport can reduce barriers for women seeking education, work or healthcare, while LPG support could provide meaningful relief to families struggling with everyday expenses. The electric-bus expansion is also a welcome step towards cleaner urban mobility.
At the same time, major infrastructure decisions such as Parandur require careful consideration of both economic needs and the rights of communities whose land and livelihoods may be affected. The Opposition’s concerns about Chennai’s future airport capacity deserve to be heard just as seriously as farmers’ concerns about displacement and environmental impact.
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