EPS Opposes ₹1,200-Crore Secretariat Plan at Pattinapakkam
AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami has opposed the proposed new Tamil Nadu Secretariat at Pattinapakkam in Chennai, saying the project should not proceed under the state’s current financial conditions.
In a statement reported by Dinamalar on September 11, Palaniswami said a new Secretariat could be considered after Tamil Nadu’s finances improve and after a location is identified that would not cause hardship to residents. He said the present proposal to build the complex at Pattinapakkam was unnecessary.
Palaniswami also raised concerns about the proposed site along Santhome Road, close to the coast. According to his statement, the area has long-standing fishing communities, residential neighbourhoods, schools and significant vehicle congestion. He argued that a government headquarters should instead be located in an area with adequate space and without traffic pressure.
The AIADMK leader said the party was not opposed to constructing a new Secretariat in principle. He referred to earlier efforts during AIADMK administrations under former chief ministers M.G. Ramachandran and J. Jayalalithaa to identify a location with fewer space and transport constraints.
Palaniswami placed the proposed cost at ₹1,200 crore and said the project would require borrowing at a time when the state was facing financial pressure and a heavy debt burden. He also cited other public concerns, including farmers’ issues and social-welfare needs, as reasons for reconsidering the expenditure.
His statement called for the Pattinapakkam project to be abandoned for now and urged the chief minister to reconsider the plan. The report did not include a response from the Tamil Nadu government, details of an approved construction schedule, or further information on the project’s administrative and financial status.
