CHENNAI: Police security has been strengthened across ministers’ offices at the State Secretariat amid a sharp increase in the number of visitors meeting members of the newly formed government at Fort St George.
With ministers beginning full-fledged administrative work after assuming office, their chambers have been witnessing heavy crowds from morning till evening, prompting authorities to deploy additional police personnel to regulate movement and prevent congestion inside the Secretariat complex.
Officials said the deployment was aimed at managing the steady influx of visitors, including party functionaries, government officials, supporters, well-wishers and members of the public arriving to submit petitions and grievances.
Several ministers’ offices witnessed long queues on Monday, with cadres and supporters turning up in large numbers to congratulate ministers on their appointments, while others sought courtesy meetings or submitted representations on local civic and constituency-related issues.
Police personnel were seen stationed outside ministerial chambers to streamline entry, control overcrowding and ensure smooth movement in key administrative corridors.
Sources in the Secretariat said the rush had increased considerably over the past few days as ministers simultaneously began departmental review meetings and public interactions.
“The deployment is purely for crowd regulation and administrative convenience. There is a continuous flow of visitors to almost every minister’s office,” an official said.
Authorities have also introduced queue management measures in certain sections of the Secretariat to avoid disruption to routine government functioning.
Though enhanced security arrangements are common during political transitions and the early days of a new administration, officials indicated that the unusually high footfall at ministerial offices had necessitated tighter crowd-control measures this time.