Infrastructural Crisis Hits Chennai State Secretariat as Daily Footfall Rises to 9,000

The State Secretariat on the historic Fort St George campus in Chennai is facing severe infrastructural strain as daily footfalls have surged from 7,000 to 9,000 following the arrival of the new Chief Minister and state ministers. The influx of visitors has triggered acute parking congestion, overcrowded canteens, and a critical shortage of public washrooms and drinking water facilities across the complex and the adjacent Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai.

With scores of people arriving to greet the new administration, the corridors of the 400-year-old campus have become packed. Despite the high volume of visitors, the Secretariat building itself lacks public restrooms. Visitors must walk 150 meters to Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai to access staff facilities. A staff member from the deputy speaker’s office reported that the toilets near the Assembly are not cleaned regularly and emit a foul smell. While IAS officers have separate private lounges and restrooms, common toilets remain inadequate for the general workforce.

Dining facilities are also heavily strained. The campus has five eateries, including three main restaurants that cater to up to 1,500 people daily. Visitors described them as cramped, unhygienic messes with poor drinking water quality and wait times of at least 30 minutes. One restaurant operates beneath the dilapidated King’s Barracks structure, with tables spilling out onto the open road.

Parking has emerged as another major hazard. Two-wheelers have encroached onto roads connecting Fort St George and Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai, sometimes parking three layers deep and blocking pedestrian paths. G. Vinodh Kumar, treasurer of the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Vehicle Drivers Association, said about 400 cars enter the campus daily, with political party members taking up official spaces. He called for the construction of a multi-level parking facility outside the complex.

Inside the offices, section officers are forced to work in cramped, bunker-like spaces on wooden stools. G. Venkadesan, president of the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association, noted that construction inside the complex is heavily restricted because it is a defence area. He stated that the association previously submitted a petition to relocate the Secretariat.

While Public Secretary Reeta Harish Thakkar was unavailable for comment, a Public Works Department official stated there is currently no plan to relocate the Secretariat, adding that police have been instructed to manage the parking issues as they arise.