Sources say that following strong opposition from fishermen, the public, and various political parties, the Tamil Nadu government is abandoning its decision to set up the Secretariat in Pattinapakkam, Chennai.
Amid protests by fishermen and political parties, reports have also emerged that alternative sites along the East Coast Road are being studied.
Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay had announced in the Legislative Assembly that a new Secretariat would be built in Chennai at an estimated cost of Rs. 1,200 crore over an area of 20 lakh square feet.
Following this, several locations around Chennai were surveyed, and an announcement was made that the Secretariat would be built in Pattinapakkam, with a government order also having been issued.
In this situation, people from 9 fishing villages passed a resolution opposing the Tamil Nadu government's plan to set up a new Secretariat in Chennai's Pattinapakkam, and had also announced that if the project was launched, a protest would erupt.
It is said that the government is taking action regarding the lands of the fishing settlements in the area selected for the construction of the new Secretariat. As a result, fears have arisen that the ancestral settlement rights and traditional livelihood of the fishing community, which has lived in the area for generations, will be affected.
The daily livelihoods of the people of 9 fishing villages—Mullikuppam, Srinivaspuram, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Bhavani Kuppam, Irudhayapuram, Selvarajapuram, Tooming Kuppam, Nochi Nagar, and Nochikuppam—such as fishing at sea, anchoring boats, weaving fishing nets, drying fish, and selling them, would be affected. There was also concern that if fishing families were forced to move away, fishermen might end up commuting from elsewhere by vehicle to the shore to carry out their work, just as we go to work and return every day.
There is no disagreement that Tamil Nadu needs a new Secretariat. However, if a new Secretariat is built in Pattinapakkam, it will cause massive traffic congestion in that area. That area has places where large crowds gather, including the famous Santhome Church, well-known schools, and the office of the Inspector General of Registration. Various groups had already stressed that if a new Secretariat were also established in this already heavily congested area, the resulting traffic would become unmanageable, and it would lead to major problems during disaster situations.
In this situation, sources say that in the consultation meeting held by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay, who returned from London, with ministers and officials, it was decided to reconsider the decision to set up the new Secretariat in Pattinapakkam and to inspect a few locations near the Thiruvidanthai temple on the East Coast Road.
So far, no official information has been released about the decision to establish the Secretariat in Pattinapakkam being withdrawn. If an alternative location is finalized, the Tamil Nadu government may issue an announcement about it, sources say.