Tamil Nadu CM Vijay Announces New Secretariat Complex and Major Infrastructure Projects

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay announced on Thursday, September 3, 2026, a plan to construct a new integrated Secretariat and Legislative Assembly complex in Chennai. The proposed facility will span 20 lakh square feet at an estimated cost of 1,200 crore rupees. The new complex is intended to consolidate all state government departments into a single, modern, and eco friendly facility that adheres to green building standards and includes accessibility for persons with disabilities. Once the new complex is established, the current Secretariat at Fort St. George will be preserved as a heritage site. Chief Minister Vijay explained that the move is necessary because the state government controls only about four acres of the 107 acre Fort St. George campus, with the remainder managed by the Union Ministry of Defence and the Archaeological Survey of India. This limitation has prevented the expansion and modernization of the existing infrastructure, which has reached a state of stagnation as the number of government employees has increased over the last 40 years. While the Chief Minister did not specify a location during his Assembly statement, reports indicate the government has identified three potential sites: the Highways Research Station in Guindy, a Tamil Nadu Housing Board colony in Pattinapakkam, and a former Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. plot in Nandambakkam. In addition to the Secretariat, the Chief Minister announced plans for a Tamil Nadu Olympic City in Chennai, to be developed by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, and a Motor Sports City designed to host Formula 1 through 4 races. Center right sources framed these announcements as a broad push for global standing and infrastructure development, while center left sources focused more heavily on the administrative necessity and the historical context of the shift from Fort St. George.