Chennai, Oct 1:
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) is likely to be shifted from Fort St George to Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai (NKM) in the Secretariat complex before Pongal, with preparatory works already under way on the building’s 10th floor.
The 10th floor has been divided into three blocks for the proposed CMO. Around 50 per cent of the offices currently functioning on the floor have already been shifted to other locations within the NKM building, officials said.
A new high-capacity lift has also been installed exclusively for the 10th floor as part of the preparations.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has floated three separate tenders for interior works in the three blocks, with a combined estimated cost of Rs 5.54 crore.
Raasi Builders emerged as the lowest bidder for all three works. It quoted Rs 1.66 crore for Block 1, against an estimated Rs 2.41 crore; Rs 1.37 crore for Block 2, against Rs 2.01 crore; and Rs 74.94 lakh for Block 3, against Rs 1.12 crore.
The three works are expected to cost a combined Rs 3.78 crore, around 32 per cent below the estimated amount.
The new CMO is being planned with a dedicated Chief Minister’s office, a modern conference hall and other administrative facilities. The relocation is intended to address space constraints at the existing CMO and provide improved infrastructure for administrative work.
The CMO is expected to begin functioning from the NKM premises around the Pongal period, subject to completion of the ongoing works.