Political leaders, fisherfolk oppose choice of Pattinapakkam as site for Tamil Nadu’s new Secretariat

PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday (September 10, 2026) said the State government’s decision to construct a new Assembly in Pattinapakkam lacked “foresight,” as the area was already congested.

While there was no disagreement over the need for a new Secretariat, the disadvantages of building a secretariat in Pattinapakkam would outweigh the advantages, he said.

“The biggest problem is traffic congestion. Severe congestion already exists on Santhome Road and Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Salai, which is why a loop road has been built to help address the problem. The area is also home to several key buildings including Santhome Church, prominent schools, and the office of the Inspector General of Registration, which attract a large number of people,” he said.

Dr. Anbumani also said the land identified was not sufficient for the new Secretariat and Legislative Assembly complex. “A functioning Secretariat complex would require facilities such as a fire station, emergency medical services, restaurants, parking facilities, and public transport. If all these infrastructure facilities are created within the identified site, it would be impossible to prevent the kind of space constraints faced in the existing Secretariat complex from occurring in the new complex, and that too very soon,” he said.

AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran, in a social media post, called upon Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to look for other sites for the new complex, citing various disadvantages of the proposed site, including adverse impact on the livelihood of fishermen living nearby. A public hearing should have been held before choosing the site, he added.

Will impact livelihood: Fisherfolk

The proposal to construct the Secretariat at Foreshore Estate has not gone down well with fishermen of villages from Nochikuppam to Srinivasapuram along the Marina Loop Road. They say their livelihood will be completely affected and freedom curtailed if the Secretariat is to come up there.

Community leader K. Bharathi said the implementation of the Blue Flag beach scheme and the use of the Marina Loop Road for traffic movement already hindered their work.

“We don’t have space on beach sands to park our boats, store, and mend nets or sell fish. A small mud road linking the fishing communities along the coast has become a key thoroughfare used by everyone. The courts and officials are telling us that we cannot claim these spaces as our right without understanding the nature of our livelihoods. If the Secretariat is built here, our very existence would become difficult due to heightened security,” he said.

V.R. Vijayan, Maylai Pagudhi Anaithu Meenava Grama Panchayat Sabhai said over 1,500 families belonging to the fishing community would have nowhere to go if the complex was constructed there.

The lands identified for the Secretariat belonged to community leader Sindhanai Sirpi Singaravelar, who had gifted it to the communities. “We have been demanding that the land be returned to us,” he said.

On September 15, representatives of 140 villages from Tiruvallur to Chengalpattu will meet and pass a resolution against the government’s decision, and also plan the next course of action.