Tamil Nadu CM Vijay announces plan to set up new integrated secretariat complex in Chennai

Tamil Nadu prime minister C. Joseph Vijay A plan to build a new integrated secretariat complex in Chennai, spread over an area of ​​20,000 sq ft, was announced on Thursday (September 3, 2026) at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore. At present, the State Legislative Assembly and Secretariat operate on the historic Fort St. George campus near Marina Beach.

He said that the complex will include the Legislative Assembly, the offices of the Prime Minister, ministers and various departments, with modern facilities, to ensure effective governance and create a world-class public administration infrastructure, aiming to meet the requirements of the next 100 years.

Mr. Vijay did not mention the location where the proposed secretariat would be established.

Made a Su moto In his statement before the association, Mr. Vijay said that a modern administrative complex will be developed with fire safety facilities, accessibility for persons with disabilities and as per green building norms. Adequate parking facilities, conference halls, public service centers and modern amenities will also be provided to officials.

History of Fort St. George

Recalling the history of Fort St George, Mr. Vijay said its construction began in 1640 by the English East India Company on land acquired by it for its commercial operations and was completed in 1644. After its elevation to the presidency in 1652, it served as the official seat of the British Raj. After independence, it continued to work as the secretariat of the Tamil Nadu government. For nearly 400 years, it has served as the country’s administrative center and a symbol of its governance heritage, he said.

“Control of key territories is under the supervision of the Ministry of Defence, ASI”

Of the 107-acre Fort St George campus, only about four acres are used by the Secretariat and are under the control of the Tamil Nadu government. He said that since the remaining area was under the control of the Union Ministry of Defense and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), it was not possible to expand or develop the campus.

At present, the Secretariat operates out of two buildings. Fort St. George, known as the Main Secretariat Building, was originally constructed as the governor’s residence. It now houses the Legislative Assembly, the offices of the Prime Minister, the Ministers, the Chief Secretary, the Ministry of Finance and other important departments. Mr. Vijay said that the complex has a built-up area of ​​2.07 lakh square feet.

To meet the increasing administrative requirements of the state government, Namakkal Kavinar Maligai He said that the building was built in 1978, with a ground floor and 10 floors, with an area of ​​3.75 thousand square feet. Secretaries and officials in various departments work in these buildings, as well as more than 6,000 employees in more than 30 government departments.

Due to lack of space, a new Secretariat was set up in the Umandurar Government Building (during Karunanidhi’s last term as Prime Minister) with the aim of improving administrative efficiency. Subsequently, when the building was converted into a multi-specialty hospital and medical college (by the Jayalalithaa regime), the Secretariat continued to function from the Fort St George campus, Mr. Vijay said.

Over the past 40 years, the number of staff in all government departments working from the General Secretariat and their administrative responsibilities has increased significantly. However, since the existing infrastructure has remained largely unchanged, it has reached a state of stagnation. Moreover, since the remaining areas within Fort St George are defense and ASI lands, no additional buildings can be constructed and development works cannot be undertaken.

The buildings of Fort St. George should be preserved as heritage structures

Although Fort St. George has served as a proud symbol of the administrative history of the Tamil Nadu government, it is necessary to establish a new integrated secretariat complex to meet the future administrative requirements of the state. He added that the heritage buildings of Fort St. George will be preserved as heritage buildings.