Chennai, Sept 12:
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami has opposed the Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to construct a new Secretariat complex at Pattinapakkam, terming the project unnecessary at a time when the State is facing financial difficulties.
In a statement on Friday, Palaniswami said the proposed site along Santhome Road, adjoining the Pattinapakkam beach, was already a heavily congested area. He said the presence of fishermen’s settlements, residential neighbourhoods, schools and considerable vehicular movement would make the location unsuitable for a large administrative complex.
According to Palaniswami, construction of the Secretariat at the location could further aggravate traffic congestion and cause inconvenience to residents. He argued that the government should consider the impact of such a major project on people living in the surrounding areas before proceeding with the plan.
Palaniswami recalled that during the AIADMK governments headed by former Chief Ministers M G Ramachandran and J Jayalalithaa, efforts had been made to identify a suitable location for a new Secretariat.
He said the earlier exercise had focused on finding a location that would not face space constraints or create traffic-related problems. He suggested that the government should follow a similar approach while deciding on any new Secretariat complex.
The AIADMK leader also questioned the proposed expenditure at a time when the State was facing financial difficulties. He said farmers’ problems and several social welfare issues remained unresolved and argued that borrowing Rs 1,200 crore for constructing a new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam was unnecessary under the circumstances.
Palaniswami urged the government to drop the present proposal and consider construction of a new Secretariat only after the State’s financial position improved.
He also stressed that any site selected for a future Secretariat should be carefully evaluated to ensure that it did not cause traffic congestion or inconvenience to residents.
Palaniswami directly appealed to Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to reconsider the decision and abandon the plan to construct the new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam.
The AIADMK’s opposition comes amid mounting political objections to the proposed project, with the CPI announcing a protest at Pattinapakkam and the CPM calling for an all-party meeting to discuss the location before construction work begins.