State reviews Pattinapakam secretariat plan amid fishermen’s opposition

Chennai: TheTamil Nadu government is reviewing its proposal to build a new Secretariat at Pattinapakkam, Minister Nirmal Kumar said on Thursday, amid reports that the site could be changed following objections from fishing communities and opposition parties.

Asked whether the government had withdrawn its decision to build the complex at Pattinapakkam, Kumar did not confirm that the project had been scrapped. Work on the proposed Secretariat was under review, he told reporters in Chennai, adding that the minister concerned would make an official announcement. The government was studying possible locations within the city for the Secretariat, Kumar said.

His remarks leave open both the future of the Pattinapakkam proposal and the question of where the building will eventually be constructed. The original plan envisaged a 15-storey Secretariat on 25 acres at Pattinapakkam, with an estimated cost of Rs 1,200 crore. The government had approved the initial stage of land acquisition, and the Public Works Department was preparing a detailed project report for the development.

The choice of site, however, drew opposition from parties that said construction would threaten the livelihoods of fishermen who have long lived in the area. Fishermen also raised objections to the proposed complex, making the project a contentious issue even before construction began.

There had been an expectation that the government would seek to address the fishing community’s concerns before proceeding with work at Pattinapakkam. The continuing opposition has since fuelled speculation that the administration is reconsidering the location.

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The Hans India