TN Government Shortlists Guindy Site to Relocate Secretariat and Assembly

CHENNAI — The Tamil Nadu government is preparing to relocate the legislative assembly and state secretariat out of the historic Fort St George, shortlisting the Highways Research Station campus in Guindy among three potential sites for the new complex.

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay is slated to announce the relocation plan in the ongoing assembly session under Rule 110, which permits the chief minister to inform the house of policy decisions without a debate.

Alongside the campus in Guindy, the state government has shortlisted land parcels at Foreshore Estate and an area situated opposite Fintech City in Nandambakkam. The government-owned land parcel in Guindy measures approximately 35 acres, while the other two proposed locations span more than 20 acres each.

According to officials, the selected acreage across these sites is considered adequate to house administrative infrastructure, employees, visitors, and designated parking facilities. A definitive decision on the final location will be taken following discussions over the coming weeks.

In preparation for the move, senior officials from the revenue and public works departments have already conducted site visits across the shortlisted plots following instructions from Minister Aadhav Arjuna.

The proposed shift comes as Fort St George, a 17th-century heritage structure, faces severe space constraints due to surging footfalls and expanding state government administrative programmes.