Secretariat or shopping complex?

Even a hypermarket or super market in the city does not offer a one stop solution for shoppers selling fruits and vegetables, shoes, cobbler’s services, snacks, savouries, utensils, cooking ingredients, cosmetics, dress material and saris, which could be a housewife’s dream shopping zone. But such a zone does exist, not in any city location, but rather in the Secretariat campus inside fort St. George – a veritable no man’s land. 

Inquiries by DTNext revealed that no official knows who exactly provides permission for traders to walk in and out at will. Though technically, it is the ASI (Archaeological Society of India) which maintains the area, ASI officials said, “Our work ends with maintaining monuments inside the Fort. It is the Army which handles all other issues.”  But the Army had its own tale of woe. 

Speaking on condition of anonymity a senior officer said, “The Army does not have total control over the campus, though technically we are supposed to be in control.” Asked about the mushrooming eateries and shops on the premises, the official said, “In 2007, we cleared 75 encroachers and only six were remaining as they had approached the court. We won the case, but they appealed the verdict and the case in still pending. So, it is the Secretariat which must be held responsible for allowing traders free run inside the premises.” 

ASI officials said, “It is not the eateries and shops alone that are the problem for us. In fact, two enterprising women buy various items from the army canteen inside the campus, stuff them inside two huge jute carry bags and park both bags inside one of the ATMs adjacent to the army ground. When the ATMs were without cash during the demonetisation drive, they became ideal stock rooms from where they did a brisk business.” 

On being informed of this, Army officials said this was news to them. “However, we are loath to take action, as immediately the affected traders talk to their political patrons and we get phone calls to desist from such removal,” they said. 

Meanwhile a section of the media was sore over the fact that the police stopped them unnecessarily, while arriving to cover Assembly proceedings, and arguments with cops are becoming a daily occurrence. 

Madras Union of Journalists General Secretary R Mohan said, “When we who carry state government accreditation cards are prevented from entering to conduct official business, it is galling to see shopkeepers being allowed to enter the premises without any question.”

How do the vendors go about their business? Sukanya, who sells vegetables and fruits in the compound said, “We purchase vegetables from the nearby market and then sell them here.” Asked whether they were issued passes, she refused to answer and said that no photographs should be taken. Asked where she was from she said, “I live in the quarters here.” 

The shops in the Secretariat have become so popular that even outsiders arrive to make purchases, ASI officials added. The campus has three vegetarian and one non-vegetarian restaurant, a nationalised bank, umpteen tea shops, a tea outlet by TANTEA (Tamil Nadu Tea Corporation), five ATMs. Army officials are sore that a multi-storeyed building was allowed to be built inside the Fort which is a protected monument. 

“When the government itself does this, how and why will they give ear to our grievances?” they ask. “The state government could easily have included all facilities for their Secretariat staff including hotels inside the multi- storeyed building itself,” they added.

Lamenting that the state government was putting up structures at will without seeking permission, they said, “The police some time ago erected a pole, which later became an air-conditioned shed and we could do nothing.” 

Army officials said that encroachments were back within a few days of removal and as this was not the army’s official work, they had stopped the exercise. As the Fort’s streets are not meant for heavy vehicular traffic, bottlenecks occur when officials and ministers’ cars are parked haphazardly. 

“The government created a parking lot in front of the Fort on other side of the road. Only a few vehicles park there, while the rest are inside the Fort adding to the confusion inside” army officials added. While the ASI points fingers at the Army and the Army points a finger at the state government, there does not seem to be a clear consensus on who runs Fort St George.