Tensions flared in the Tamil Nadu Assembly on Tuesday regarding the proposed relocation of Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s office to a larger, modern building within the Secretariat complex. Minister Aadhav Arjuna addressed concerns, asserting that the move was not intended for “personal luxury.” This statement comes amid growing scrutiny over government expenditures and the accountability of public officials in the state.
He further justified the unavailability of the tender on an official website and said, “There is a reason why it has not yet been officially announced. There is also a reason why the Schedule of Rates has not yet been announced in connection with the chief minister’s project. DMK leader Velu recalled the legacy of the current CMO While calling out CM Vijay’s decision to move offices. The government’s decision is to shift the CMO from the main block of Fort St George, which houses both the chief minister’s office and the Legislative Assembly, to the adjoining Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai building, built by the late former Tamil Nadu CM Kalaignar, within the same Secretariat complex. The DMK leader stated that the chief minister’s move to relocate was disturbing to the people working in the Secretariat. “They are asking, ‘Where are we supposed to go if the chief minister takes over this space? Tamil Nadu’s public works minister Aadhav Arjuna dismissed the opposition’s allegation, calling it a bid to create doubt while appearing friendly. “When tenders are invited, contractors want to secure the work. They want to get the work somehow…Some may even think, ‘We do not need to make a profit; it is enough if we can pay the salaries of the people working for us. That has nothing to do with the government or the minister.
He said that “very simple” people have served as the state’s chief minister from that very office, news agency ANI reported. He said they are saying they have “no place to eat or rest. The chief minister should take this into consideration,” Velu said. Once the Schedule of Rates is fixed, that is the end of the matter,” Velu said.
