CHENNAI: DMK MP P Wilson on Thursday (September 10) questioned the government about the announcement to construct a new Secretariat and Assembly complex at Foreshore Estate, asking whether it is a breach of the undertaking given before the Madras High Court to restore it as tenements for rental purposes.
Hinting at legal hurdles for the project, he said that when the Tamil Nadu Housing Board evicted government servants and others from the flats at Foreshore Estate, the Board and the government had assured them before the Madras High Court that multi-storey residential apartments would be constructed and that they would be rehoused in the flats once the construction was completed.
The TNHB flats were built in 1963 during the Kamaraj regime to provide refuge from the volatility of private rental rates.
When the building became dilapidated, the government assured that it would be restored to its original purpose after being rebuilt. The DMK MP is pointing to such an assurance in the HC.
"Considering that the designated site falls within the CRZ-II zone, the FSI could be less than 1.97. Can a large-scale project worth Rs 1,200 crore, covering 20 lakh sq ft, be accommodated on narrow roads, causing traffic chaos and encroaching on fishermen's territory?" he asked.
Questioning the reasons for choosing the site for the new Secretariat, he asked whether it was being selected simply because it was near Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay's residence, a location that could displace many fishermen and endanger their livelihoods due to security-related concerns.