CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government is facing an acute shortage of office space at the Secretariat following the commencement of renovation work on the 10th floor of Namakkal Kavignar Maligai (NKM), which is being prepared to house the Chief Minister's Office.
The renovation has necessitated the immediate relocation of sections of the Home, Registration, Commercial Taxes, and Tamil Development Departments, creating a major challenge for the Public Department in identifying suitable alternative accommodation within the Secretariat complex.
According to officials, Secretary to the Public Department E Sundaravalli and Deputy Secretary Srutanjay Narayanan inspected various departments at Fort St George on Thursday to identify vacant office space for relocating the affected sections.
"The officials inspected several departments in search of additional accommodation within the Secretariat complex. However, they could not identify any large vacant space to accommodate the sections that have to be shifted," a Secretariat official said.
The Public Department has been asked to vacate the sections functioning on the 10th floor at the earliest to facilitate the renovation work.
Officials said the space constraints have complicated the relocation exercise, as most buildings within the Secretariat are already functioning at full capacity. The government is now exploring various options to accommodate the displaced sections without affecting the day-to-day functioning of departments.
It may be noted that the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association has opposed the proposed shifting of the Chief Minister's Office to NKM, alleging that the move would disrupt the functioning of key departments and affect Budget preparations. The association urged the government to ensure adequate infrastructure and workspace at the new locations before relocating offices and staff.