Chennai, Sept 23:
Tamil Nadu is facing a pressing need for a modern Secretariat with adequate space and public facilities, Public Works Minister Aadhav Arjuna said on Tuesday, as the proposed Rs 1,200-crore Secretariat-cum-Assembly complex at Pattinapakkam remains under discussion.
Addressing a review meeting with engineers of the Public Works and Highways departments, Aadhav said the existing Secretariat at Fort St George lacked adequate space and facilities for the public. He stressed the need for government infrastructure comparable with facilities available in neighbouring Karnataka and Telangana.
“Government buildings should have infrastructure comparable to private establishments,” the Minister said, emphasising that public facilities should be designed keeping people’s needs in mind.
The proposed Secretariat-Assembly complex is estimated to cost Rs 1,200 crore and is expected to take three to four years to complete. Aadhav’s remarks come amid the ongoing debate over the proposed location at Pattinapakkam and a legal challenge before the Madras High Court.
The Minister reiterated that the site had not been finalised and that the concerns of the fishing community would be taken into consideration. He had earlier said that Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay would take the final decision after examining the detailed project report.
Aadhav also directed officials to ensure that all new government buildings are accessible to persons with disabilities. Where departmental manpower is inadequate for inspection work, private personnel could be engaged, he said.
He announced that 45,139 km of district roads would be taken up for immediate repairs. He also spoke about plans for a sea link between Chennai and Mamallapuram and said roads transferred from the Greater Chennai Corporation to the Highways Department would be upgraded within a year after the monsoon.
As part of a new initiative to monitor government buildings, the government will introduce a colour-coded system indicating their condition. Red stickers will denote buildings in poor condition, yellow will indicate structures requiring repairs and green will identify buildings in good condition.
The exercise will initially cover schools and subsequently extend to colleges and hospitals. Details regarding the condition and maintenance status of buildings will also be made available online.
Aadhav further announced plans to install AI-enabled cameras across more than 76,000 km of roads within three months, with surveillance proposed at 100-metre intervals. He cited official data showing that more than 88,500 people had died and over 1.2 lakh suffered serious injuries in road accidents during the past five years.