CHENNAI: Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) chief coordinator Seeman on Saturday urged the Tamil Nadu government to drop its proposal to establish a new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam, alleging that the project would affect the livelihood of people in nine fishing hamlets and worsen traffic congestion in the area.
In a statement, Seeman questioned the need to spend around Rs 1,200 crore on a new Secretariat when the state government was facing financial constraints. He said the government had cited lack of space and traffic congestion at the existing Secretariat at Fort St George as reasons for considering a shift, but Pattinapakkam was itself facing severe traffic congestion.
He pointed out that the area had several schools, colleges, commercial establishments, places of worship and fishing-related businesses, with thousands of people using its narrow roads every day. The proposed Secretariat, he said, could further worsen congestion and affect schoolchildren and the public.
Seeman also questioned whether adequate space would be available at the proposed site for government departments, the Assembly, accommodation for ministers and MLAs, parking and other public amenities. He asked whether the location could support the government's stated vision of a Secretariat that would meet its requirements for the next 100 years.
Citing the risk of tsunamis and projections of sea-level rise, Seeman argued that Pattinapakkam was unsuitable for a long-term government complex.
Alleging that the decision appeared to favour the Chief Minister's personal convenience, Seeman termed it a "Thuglaq durbar". He warned that the NTK would mobilise people from the nine fishing hamlets and launch a major protest if the government did not withdraw the proposal.
Seeman assured the fishing communities that the NTK would oppose the project and work with residents to protect their live.