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Tamil Nadu plans to set up Olympic-standard sports complex, new Secretariat
Tamil Nadu CM Vijay announces plans for an Olympic-standard sports complex and a new ₹1,200-crore Secretariat in Chennai.
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The ruling Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government on Thursday announced plans to establish an Olympic-standard integrated sports city in Chennai to help Tamil Nadu produce more medal-winning athletes, along with a new ₹1,200-crore Secretariat complex featuring a modern Assembly and administrative offices.
Chief minister C Joseph Vijay, making a slew of ‘suo motu’ announcements in the Assembly, said the Tamil Nadu Olympic City would be established in Chennai on behalf of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT).
The Tamil Nadu government-backed SDAT is the official sports body and its vision is to promote sports and physical fitness throughout the state, utilising resources drawn from the government, sports associations and others.
“This Olympic City will be developed as an integrated sports complex of Olympic standards. It will feature modern infrastructure including world-class sports arenas, state-of-the-art sports equipment, high performance training centre, sports medicine centres,” Vijay said, amid thumping of desks by his cabinet colleagues.
The Olympic City would be equipped with accommodation facilities for athletes and coaches, he said.
New Secretariat Complex
On the proposal to establish a new Secretariat, Vijay said the existing Fort St George was built in 1640 on land purchased by the East India Company for commercial operations, and construction was completed in 1644.
After being raised to the status of a Presidency in 1652, it served as an official headquarters of British rule.
However, following Independence, it continued to function as the Secretariat of the Government of Tamil Nadu and has stood as the administrative centre of the state government and a symbol of the state’s governance heritage.
On the decision to set up a new Secretariat, Vijay said though the existing structure at Fort St George is spread across 107 acres, only four acres of land was under the control of the Tamil Nadu government for the Secretariat’s use.
“Since the remaining area is under the control of the Defence and the Archaeological Survey of India, expanding or upgrading this complex has not been possible,” he observed.
Over the past 40 years, the chief minister said, the number of employees working in government departments has increased significantly and, because the existing infrastructure remains largely unchanged, it has reached a point of stagnation.
He pointed out that since the remaining land at Fort St George belongs to the Defence Ministry and the ASI, additional construction and modernisation work cannot be undertaken.
Acknowledging that Fort St George stands as a proud symbol of Tamil Nadu’s administration, establishing a new, integrated Secretariat complex has become ‘essential’ for future administrative growth of Tamil Nadu.
Vijay said, considering all the factors and to meet the needs of the next hundred years, a new building complex featuring a modern legislative Assembly and Secretariat would be established in Chennai over an area of 20 lakh sq ft at an estimated cost of ₹1,200 crore.
However, he did not elaborate on whether the land has been identified or which location the government was looking at for setting up a Secretariat complex.
“The new Secretariat building will bring together and integrate all government departments into a single administrative campus. A modern administrative complex will be created adhering to fire safety features, accessibility for persons with disabilities and green building standards,” he said.
The existing Secretariat at Fort St George would be preserved as a historic monument, safeguarding its heritage value for future generations to learn from, he remarked.
