CHENNAI: Chief minister C Joseph Vijay will announce in the ongoing assembly session, the state govt’s plan to relocate the legislative assembly and secretariat from Fort St George, a source told TOI. The announcement is expected to be made under ‘rule 110’, which allows the CM to inform the assembly a decision without debate.The govt has shortlisted three sites for the proposed relocation: Highways Research Station campus in Guindy, Foreshore Estate and a place opposite Fintech City at Nandambakkam. The govt owns land parcels measuring around 35 acres in Guindy, while the other two parcels are of more than 20 acres. This, officials say, would be adequate to accommodate employees, visitors and parking facilities.A final decision on the location is expected after discussions in the coming weeks. Senior officials from the revenue and public works departments, on minister Aadhav Arjuna’s instructions, have visited the shortlisted sites, sources said.Fort St George, the 17th century structure, has been bursting at the seams with increasing footfalls and expanding govt programmes. The main heritage building houses the assembly and the offices of the chief minister and ministers. Ministers of BC, MBC and labour welfare are now housed in the garage block.
Under Rule 110, Sans Debate This Session
While secretariat employees have long complained about the lack of space at Fort St George, the previous govt did not pursue a relocation plan. The TVK govt decided to shift the chief minister’s chamber from the main building to the 10th floor of Namakkal Kavignar Maligai, the administrative building. “The chief minister and his secretaries are expected to move to the new office before Dec 15,” an official said. The govt could not carry out alterations to the main building as it is under the jurisdiction of Archaeological Survey of India.Former chief minister J Jayalalithaa conducted a bhoomi puja in 2003 for a large assembly-cum-secretariat complex near Anna University. But the project did not take off. Former chief minister M Karunanidhi built a new complex at Omandurar Government Estate and shifted the assembly there in 2010. Jayalalithaa, after returning to power in 2011, converted the building into a multi-specialty hospital and took the assembly and secretariat back to Fort St George.
