Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has unveiled plans for a new Legislative Assembly-cum-Secretariat complex in Chennai. The project is estimated to cost Rs 1,200 crore. This decision comes in light of the challenges faced in expanding the current administrative complex located at the historic Fort St George.
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. 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 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.
