The proposed ₹1,200-crore Chennai secretariat in Pattinapakkam has come under a fresh legal challenge, with a former Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam legislator asking the Madras High Court to stop the project and cancel the government order approving it.
The petition has been filed by Velu, a former DMK MLA from Mylapore. According to the report by Dinamalar, the petition argues that Pattinapakkam falls within the Coastal Regulation Zone and that construction should not be permitted within 500 metres of the shoreline.
The state government has decided to establish the new secretariat in Pattinapakkam and has issued a government order for the project. The proposal has faced opposition from political parties and fishing communities, who have been protesting against the planned location.
The petition asks the court to prevent construction of the secretariat at Pattinapakkam and to quash the government order issued for the project. The challenge places the proposed administrative complex within the wider regulatory framework governing construction along Chennai’s coast, although the court has not yet ruled on the petition.
The location is significant because Pattinapakkam is a coastal neighbourhood where residential areas, fishing activity and public infrastructure exist close to the shoreline. Any major government construction project in the area would therefore require compliance with the applicable coastal regulations and approvals. The petition’s central claim is that the proposed construction would violate the restriction cited by the petitioner.
The latest case follows an earlier petition filed in the Madras High Court by advocate Tamilvendhan of Kodambakkam. That petition also sought to prevent construction of the new secretariat at Pattinapakkam. The existence of two petitions means the proposed project is now facing legal scrutiny from more than one petitioner.
The government order approving the project and the regulatory permissions associated with it are likely to be central to the court’s consideration. The report does not provide details of the order’s contents, the project’s construction schedule, the proposed building design or the government’s response to the latest petition.
The High Court is expected to begin hearing Velu’s petition shortly. Until the court considers the matter, the legal status of the government order and the project’s implementation will remain subject to the proceedings.
