A government bungalow in Chennai is being extensively refurbished for Chief Minister Vijay, with plans to rename it from ‘Ezhil Illam’ to ‘Victory House’, according to information reported.
Since taking oath on May 10 as the leader of the Thaveka party, the Chief Minister has been commuting to the Secretariat from his Neelankarai residence on the East Coast Road. The 18-km route has required heavy police deployment, which has reportedly led to severe traffic congestion. He is also said to spend some time at his Pattinampakkam house before returning home, and has been using it as a camp office, causing inconvenience to the public.
To address these issues, the Chief Minister has decided to use the government bungalow on Greenways Road. The premises are being upgraded with facilities including a gym, a badminton court, accommodation for security personnel, walking paths, lawns and a small conference hall that can seat around five to six people.
The conference hall is expected to be used for official events and consultation meetings involving the Chief Minister. While such renovation work is typically handled by the Public Works Department, the report claims the residence is being designed through private arrangements to suit the Chief Minister’s preferences, and that no tender has been called so far.
After the renovation is completed, the Chief Minister is expected to move in next month. The bungalow is located four houses away from the ‘Kurinji Illam’ residence of Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi, and is surrounded by bungalows of ministers including Nirmal Kumar, Sengottaiyan and Venkataramanan. The house was previously occupied by former minister Thyagarajan during the last DMK government, the report said.
