Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay on Thursday (September 3, 2026) announced a plan to construct a new integrated Secretariat complex in Chennai, spread over 20 lakh sq. ft., at an estimated cost of ₹1,200 crore. At present, the State’s Legislative Assembly and Secretariat are functioning at the historic Fort St. George campus near Marina Beach.

The complex will comprise the Legislative Assembly and offices of the Chief Minister, Ministers and various departments, with modern facilities, to ensure efficient governance and create world-class public administration infrastructure, intended to meet the requirements of the next 100 years, he said.

Mr. Vijay did not mention the site where the proposed Secretariat would come up.

Making a suo motu statement in the Assembly, Mr. Vijay said a modern administrative complex would be developed with fire-safety facilities, accessibility for persons with disabilities and in accordance with green building standards. Adequate parking facilities, conference halls, public service centres and modern amenities for officials would also be provided.

History of Fort St. George

Recalling the history of Fort St. George, Mr. Vijay said its construction was begun in 1640 by the English East India Company on land acquired for its commercial operations and was completed in 1644. After being elevated to the status of a Presidency in 1652, it served as the official headquarters of British rule. After Independence, it continued to function as the Secretariat of the Government of Tamil Nadu. For nearly 400 years, it has served as the administrative centre of the State and as a symbol of its governance heritage, he said.

‘Major land control under Defence Ministry, ASI’

Of the 107-acre Fort St. George campus, only about four acres are being used by the Secretariat and are under the control of the Tamil Nadu government. As the remaining area is under the control of the Union Ministry of Defence and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), it has not been possible to expand or undertake development of the campus, he said.

At present, the Secretariat functions from two buildings. Fort St. George, known as the main Secretariat building, was originally constructed as the Governor’s residence. It now houses the Legislative Assembly, the offices of the Chief Minister, Ministers and the Chief Secretary, the Finance Department and other important departments. The complex has a built-up area of 2.07 lakh sq. ft, Mr. Vijay said.

To meet the expanding administrative requirements of the State government, Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai was constructed in 1978, with a ground floor and 10 floors, covering an area of 3.75 lakh sq. ft. Secretaries and officials of various departments, as well as more than 6,000 employees of over 30 government departments, work in these buildings, he said.

Due to the shortage of space, a new Secretariat was constructed at the Omandurar Government Estate (during Karunanidhi’s last tenure as Chief Minister) with the objective of improving administrative efficiency. Subsequently, as the building was converted into a multi-speciality hospital and medical college (by the Jayalalithaa regime), the Secretariat has continued to function from the Fort St. George campus, Mr. Vijay said.

Over the past 40 years, the number of personnel in all government departments functioning from the Secretariat and their administrative responsibilities have increased significantly. However, as the existing infrastructure has remained largely unchanged, it has reached a state of stagnation. Further, as the remaining areas within Fort St. George are Defence and ASI land, additional buildings cannot be constructed and development works cannot be undertaken.

Fort St. George buildings to be preserved as heritage structures

Although Fort St. George has served as a proud symbol of the administrative history of the Government of Tamil Nadu, it is essential to establish an integrated new Secretariat complex to meet the State’s future administrative requirements. The heritage buildings of Fort St. George will be preserved as heritage structures, he added.