Urban planning professionals have recommended that the Tamil Nadu government consider an 80-acre government land parcel in Nandanam, Chennai, for constructing a new Secretariat and Assembly complex.
The suggestion comes amid growing congestion at Fort St George, where the Secretariat and Legislative Assembly currently function. The state government has indicated plans to build a new complex at an alternative location, and reports have said several sites are being examined.
In a letter with a detailed note sent to Chief Minister Vijay and senior ministers, the president of the Professional Urban Planners Association, K.M. Sadanand, said the land along Anna Salai in Nandanam—around 80.40 acres near the Government Farm—appears suitable from an urban planning perspective.
According to the note, the land is government-owned but has been under lease since 1936 for use by the Cosmopolitan Club and a golf course. The lease period has ended, and despite court orders, a final decision on renewal has not been reached.
The planners argued that reclaiming the land for the Secretariat project could be practical, noting the possibility of creating two or three entry points from Anna Salai. They also suggested that a bridge over the Adyar river at the rear could improve connectivity to Kotturpuram, and urged the government to examine taking back the land for public use.
