CPI urges Tamil Nadu government to scrap coastal Secretariat plan

Chennai: Opposition to the proposed Tamil Nadu Secretariat at Pattinapakkam gathered momentum on Sunday as the CPI launched a signature drive, demanding a government order scrapping the project over concerns about fishermen’s livelihoods and the coastal environment.

The party, which provides outside support to the TVK government, urged Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay to choose an alternative location for the administrative complex and protect the fishing community’s traditional rights over coastal land.

Launching the initiative for the CPI state committee, state Secretary M. Veerapandian said the party and other Left and democratic forces had repeatedly opposed the proposal to locate the Secretariat near Marina Beach.

Led by district secretary Siva and constituency secretary Mary Divya, the campaign seeks public support for abandoning the Foreshore Estate plan.

Veerapandian maintained that development must respect the relationship between coastal communities and their surroundings. Fishermen live and work in close harmony with the sea, he said, asserting that their longstanding connection to the coast must guide decisions on the use of land in the area.

Drawing a comparison with communities living in the hills, Veerapandian argued that removing fishermen from their native surroundings would undermine their livelihoods and damage the character of the coastal neighbourhood.

Their connection to the shore, he said, could not be separated from their daily lives and work.

The CPI leader also questioned the environmental implications of constructing a government complex along the beachfront. He described construction that obstructed the sea breeze as an “attack on nature” and maintained that beaches should remain open public spaces.

Such development, he argued, would run counter to environmental concerns being raised internationally.

The government should therefore consider the ecological consequences alongside the impact on residents, he said.

Rejecting the suggestion that suitable alternative sites were unavailable, Veerapandian pointed to land at the racecourse. He claimed that 120 acres were available there and urged the government to examine existing spaces for the proposed complex. The state should pursue an alternative that would avoid displacing people, he said, instead of treating the coastal location as indispensable.

By seeking a government order dropping the proposal, the CPI is pressing for a decision on the project. The signature campaign brings together the party’s objections over coastal livelihoods, the environment and the use of public space, while reiterating its demand for an alternative site.

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