Chennai:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay announced plans to build a new Legislative Assembly and Secretariat complex in Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore, citing inability to expand the existing administrative complex at the historic Fort St George.
The proposed 20,000 square foot complex will be state-of-the-art, futuristic, modern and integrated, with all government departments operating from a single campus.
Announcing the plan in the assembly, Vijay said the existing secretariat could not be expanded due to the heritage status and restrictions imposed on the 17th century Fort St George.
“It is not possible to expand by doing more construction on Fort St. George, which was built in the 17th century,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that the new complex will bring together the state’s administrative apparatus in one place.
“A modern and integrated secretariat complex will be set up so that all departments can work from one campus,” Vijay said.
The proposed complex will have sufficient parking and conference facilities, in addition to the modern infrastructure and amenities necessary for the work of the Assembly and the General Secretariat. The project is also envisioned as a future administrative center with facilities for officials, visitors and the public.
However, Vijay clarified that the proposed shift does not mean abandoning Fort St George.
“Fort St. George, which is of historical importance, will be preserved without changing its heritage character,” he said.
Fort St. George – seat of power during British India
Built by the British East India Company in the 17th century, St. George’s Fort has a unique place in the administrative history of Tamil Nadu. It remained the seat of power during the period of British India, and served as the center of administration of the Madras Presidency.
After independence and the formation of the state of Madras, and later Tamil Nadu, the fort continued to house the state legislature and the secretariat and remains the seat of the present government.
However, the scope for expansion is limited. Large parts of the historical complex are under the control of defense authorities, while heritage structures are also subject to monument preservation requirements.
Vijay did not announce the exact location where the proposed new complex would be located.
Government sources say Pattinapakkam, Nandambakkam, Guindy and Koyambedu are among the sites being considered.
A history of attempts to move the seat of government
The issue of moving the seat of government away from Fort St. George is not new.
In 2003, Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa tried to shift the secretariat from the fort. The proposal to move it to the Queen Mary College campus sparked protests and did not materialize.
In 2010, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi took the most significant step towards establishing a new seat of government. His government built a new assembly and secretariat complex at the Umandurar government estate in Anna Salai.
The association began its work from the new complex in 2010.
But after Jayalalithaa returned to power in 2011, her government moved the association and the secretariat to Fort St George. Omandurar Complex was later converted into a multi-specialty hospital.
Opposition Questions: Spending Rs 1,200 crore
AIADMK president and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who questioned the need for a new secretariat and assembly complex.
The criticism comes amid repeated allegations by the ruling TVK that it inherited an empty state coffers and a debt burden of around Rs 10 lakh crore.
The Opposition has questioned whether spending Rs 1,200 crore on a new administrative complex is justified when the government highlights the state’s fiscal constraints.
TVK leader Americai Narayanan, speaking to NDTV, defended the proposal.
“It is difficult, but the state government cannot make concessions when it comes to the future of the state,” he said.
