The Tamil Nadu Secretariat Staff Association has opposed the decision to reshuffle govt offices. They cited space constraints, safety concerns and disruption to employees. Chief secretary M Sai Kumar on Monday issued orders for shifting the CMO out of Fort St George. The information and public relations dept and the CMO’s social media wing, currently on the 10th floor, will be shifted to Kalaivanar Arangam, while the tourism dept’s stationery section will move to the ninth floor. In a letter to the govt, association president G Venkatesan on Tuesday said nearly two-thirds of the 10th floor is already occupied by govt offices and relocating staff to other floors would leave them without adequate workspace. He said prescribed space norms for govt offices have long been ignored, adding that staff at Fort St George already struggle to move through cramped corridors. The association also flagged fire safety concerns, claiming that in the event of a major fire, particularly in the home dept area, evacuation would be difficult and even firefighters would struggle to enter the premises. It said some departments were previously forced to function from verandahs and dining areas during earlier modernisation works and urged the govt to ensure secretariat staff are not inconvenienced during the redevelopment.
