CHENNAI: It is official. Chief minister C Joseph Vijay will move out of the cramped confines of Fort St George and check into a plush sea-facing 11-storey Namakkal Kavignar Maligai on the state secretariat campus.The VVIP floor was being readied for infrastructure, security and landscaping overhaul when TOI visited the site on Tuesday.The entire chief minister’s office (CMO) will function from the 10th floor of the building, placing Vijay directly above the offices of senior secretaries to enable faster coordination and easier access for meetings.The public works department (PWD) has cordoned off nearly half of the 10th floor, including the sprawling 5,000+ sqft conference hall, while four police personnel have been posted to secure the corridor leading to the proposed office.“The conference hall, where the finance minister recently presented the white paper, will be converted into the CMO. It will include the CM’s main office, a spacious meeting hall for visiting dignitaries, an ante-room for the chief minister to rest, and a dining area,” said an official with the public dept’s govt estate wing, which is involved in the planning.The office space was evacuated on Tuesday, and PWD’s engineering and construction wing will float an open tender soon for designing and developing the new office, officials said.
New office plan
The makeover extends beyond the building. The public dept has directed the PWD to clear encroachments along the historic Fort wall, where old wooden furniture from various govt offices was stacked.It has requested the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to hand over a portion of the King’s Barracks so the frontage can be redeveloped into additional parking space. The entire area surrounding Namakkal Kavignar Maligai will also be cleaned, landscaped and beautified.Officials said shifting the CMO to Namakkal Kavignar Maligai would significantly improve administrative efficiency, as nearly 30 depts already function from the building.“It is much easier to conduct meetings if the CM is in the same building. Shifting files will also become easier. Besides, the top floor has ample lighting, ventilation and space, unlike Fort St George. The building also allows quicker evacuation or rescue during emergencies,” a senior secretary said.Traffic police officials at the secretariat said only four categories of vehicles — the CM’s car, ambulance, police vehicles and fire engines — will be permitted to stop in front of the building.A proposal to develop the state govt canteen near the building has been sent. The canteen has a damaged roof, poor air circulation, and inadequate fans, besides unhygienic conditions.“The CM vehicle will be parked in the front. He will enter through the secretariat gate, take a right in front of the Assembly, and proceed directly to Namakkal Kavignar Maligai. All obstructions along the route will be removed,” a traffic police officer said.Around 6,000 employees now work from the secretariat building. The PWD has asked police to streamline parking by preventing two and three-layer bike parking on the premises and shifting excess motorcycles to the open ground outside.On Tuesday, however, operations remained largely unchanged, with consultants, architects, NGOs and members of the public continuing to access the building as usual without any check.“Once the CM shifts here, security screening will become much tighter,” a police personnel posted at the building’s reception said.
