Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has announced plans to construct a new Legislative Assembly-cum-Secretariat complex in Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore, citing the inability to expand the existing administrative complex at the historic Fort St George.
The proposed complex will have adequate parking and conference facilities, besides modern infrastructure and amenities required for the functioning of the Assembly and Secretariat. The project is also envisaged as a futuristic administrative hub with facilities for officials, visitors and the public. Vijay, however, made it clear that the proposed shift would not mean abandoning Fort St George. Fort St George – Seat Of Power During British India Fort St George, built in the 17th century by the British East India Company, has a unique place in Tamil Nadu’s administrative history. It remained the seat of power during British India, serving as the centre of administration of the Madras Presidency. After Independence and the formation of Madras State, and later Tamil Nadu, the fort continued to house the state legislature and Secretariat and remains the seat of the present government. However, the scope for expansion is limited. Large portions of the historic complex are under the control of the Defence authorities, while the heritage structures are also subject to archaeological conservation requirements. Vijay did not announce the exact location where the proposed new complex would come up. Government sources say Pattinapakkam, Nandambakkam, Guindy and Koyambedu are among the locations being considered. A History of Attempts To Move The Seat Of Government The question of moving the seat of government away from Fort St George is not new. A proposal to move it to the Queen Mary’s College campus triggered protests and did not materialise. His government constructed a new Assembly and Secretariat complex at the Omandurar Government Estate on Anna Salai. The Omandurar complex was subsequently converted into a multi-speciality hospital.
Because of the heritage status and constraints of the 17th-century Fort St George, announcing the plan in the Assembly, Vijay said the existing Secretariat could not be expanded. The proposed 20-lakh-square-foot, state-of-the-art complex will be futuristic, modern and integrated, with all government departments functioning from a single campus. In 2003, then Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa attempted to shift the Secretariat from the fort. In 2010, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi took the most significant step towards creating a new seat of government. The Assembly began functioning from the new complex in 2010. But after Jayalalithaa returned to power in 2011, her government moved the Assembly and Secretariat back to Fort St George. The opposition has questioned whether spending Rs 1,200 crore on a new administrative complex is justified when the government is highlighting the state’s financial constraints.
“It is not possible to expand by undertaking further construction at Fort St George, which was built in the 17th century,” he said. The Chief Minister said the new complex would bring the state’s administrative machinery together in one location. “A modern and integrated Secretariat complex will be established so that all departments can function from a single campus,” Vijay said. “The historically significant Fort St George will be preserved without altering its heritage character,” he said. “It is difficult, but the state government cannot compromise when it comes to the state’s future,” he said.
TVK leader Americai Narayanan, speaking to NDTV, defended the proposal. Opposition Questions Rs 1,200-Crore Expenditure AIADMK chief and former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, who has questioned the need for a new Secretariat and Assembly complex. The criticism comes amid repeated claims by the ruling TVK that it inherited an empty state treasury and a debt burden of around Rs 10 lakh crore.
