Tamil Nadu CPI(M) State Secretary P. Shanmugam has voiced strong objections at the state government's decision to build the new Secretariat and Assembly complex for government and assembly constituency in Pattinapakkam in Chennai. He has demanded that the political debate, as much as possible, be made ahead of any construction activity to be started at the proposed site.
The controversy deepened when the Tamil Nadu Government issued a Government Order on 9 September 2026 that identified land at Pattinapakkam for the proposed complex. The project is to address space constraints in the current Secretariat, and bring the Assembly and government departments together in a modern administrative campus, reports said.
CPM Doesn't Urge Construction
Shanmugam said that the construction of the Secretariat and government offices is a long-term project and should not be carried out in a hurry. He argued that it needs to be done in such a way that administrative requirements, public interest, environmental and local citizens' interests are taken into account in the process.
The CPI(M) leader particularly cited objections from fishing communities around Pattinapakkam. The fishermen's villages in the vicinity have opposed the proposed location and urged the government to consult with these communities before going ahead.
Opposition to the site is also from other political parties. Problems with fishing communities, traffic, coastal ecology and public access to the area have recently been raised by the reports.
Demand for All-Party Meeting
Shanmugam has called on the Tamil Nadu government to hold an all-party meeting to discuss the location of the proposed Secretariat. He said different political parties have expressed different views on the project and a consensus should be attempted before a final decision is made.
The CPI(M) leader is determined that a suitable site should only be chosen after political parties and other stakeholders have reached an agreement in advance. If the government does not respond to this, they should not start work at the current chosen Pattinapakkam site.
The demand is in the midst of a political storm over the size and location of the proposed administrative complex. There are reports that the government is planning a huge modern complex with the Pattinapakkam site covering more than 20 acres.
By-Elections Also on CPM Agenda
Shanmugam also spoke of the upcoming Assembly by-elections. He said the CPI(M)'s State Executive Committee would meet the following day to discuss the party's position on the contests.
He said the party would make its decisions after the meeting and declare it later. The statement comes at a time of great political flux in Tamil Nadu after the formation of the new government and still less clear alliances and electoral strategies.
Pattinapakkam Secretariat Debate Intensifies
But the Pattinapakkam project has become a major political issue in Tamil Nadu. The government says it has created a new Secretariat for long-standing administrative space constraints, but the opponents say the site should be examined more closely.
The need for more consultation and a wider consultation will remain at the heart of the debate, with political parties and local fishing communities in the middle of it all. Shanmugam’s call for an all-party meeting puts pressure on the government to explain the plan for the project and site selection and how it will be safeguarded before construction starts.
