Expectations are rising over where Tamil Nadu’s proposed new Secretariat will come up in Chennai, as the existing complex at Fort St George continues to face space constraints.
In a recent announcement, Chief Minister Vijay said a modern Assembly and Secretariat complex would be built to meet the next 100 years of needs, spanning about 20 lakh sq ft at an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore.
Public Works Department officials said the government has taken a policy decision to build the new Secretariat and that preliminary work began within weeks of the new administration taking charge. Site studies were carried out at multiple locations, including the Koyambedu bus terminus area, the Highways Department campus in Guindy, the Nandambakkam trade centre, and Pattinapakkam.
Among the options, the coastal Pattinapakkam area is said to have appealed to the Chief Minister’s side. Officials noted that the same locality had earlier been considered by former chief ministers M. Karunanidhi and J. Jayalalithaa.
Since the site is close to the sea, permission is being sought from the Coastal Regulation authority. With a link road lying between the shoreline and the identified land, approval has been requested under CRZ Zone II, and an official location announcement is expected after clearance, officials added.
