Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay is set to relocate his office from the historic Fort St. George to the 10th floor of the sea-facing Namakkal Kavignar Maligai within the State Secretariat complex in Chennai, in what officials describe as a move aimed at improving administrative efficiency, as reported in India Today.
According to officials, the entire Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) will function from the top floor of the 11-storey building, placing the Chief Minister directly above the offices of senior bureaucrats and facilitating quicker coordination between the political leadership and the administrative machinery.
Preparatory work for the shift is already underway. Nearly half of the 10th floor, including a conference hall spanning more than 5,000 square feet, has been cordoned off for the proposed CMO. Officials from the Public Works Department (PWD) said the conference hall would be redesigned to accommodate the Chief Minister’s office, a meeting hall for visiting dignitaries, an ante-room, and a dining area, as reported in Times of India.
The existing office space on the floor has been vacated, and the PWD’s engineering and construction wing is expected to invite open tenders for the interior design and development of the new office.
The relocation has also triggered a broader revamp of the surrounding Secretariat premises. Officials said the PWD has begun repainting the Namakkal Kavignar Maligai building and has initiated landscaping and beautification works around it. The department has also sought the removal of old furniture stacked along the historic Fort wall and requested the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to hand over a portion of the King’s Barracks to facilitate the creation of additional parking space.
Senior officials said shifting the CMO to Namakkal Kavignar Maligai would improve governance as nearly 30 government departments already function from the same building. They noted that holding meetings and moving official files would become easier, while the building’s spacious layout, natural lighting, and ventilation would provide a more functional working environment than the current office at Fort St. George. Officials also stated that the building would allow quicker evacuation during emergencies.
Security arrangements are also being upgraded ahead of the Chief Minister’s move. Police officials said visitors to the new CMO would be subject to stricter security screening at the building entrance once the office becomes operational.
Traffic management within the Secretariat campus will also undergo changes. Officials said only the Chief Minister’s vehicle, ambulances, police vehicles, and fire service vehicles would be permitted to stop in front of Namakkal Kavignar Maligai. The Chief Minister is expected to continue using the existing VIP entrance, entering through the Secretariat gate and proceeding directly to the building.
Authorities are also planning improvements to the government canteen located near Namakkal Kavignar Maligai after identifying issues such as a damaged roof, poor ventilation, and inadequate amenities. In addition, the PWD has asked police to streamline parking arrangements by preventing multi-layer parking of two-wheelers and relocating excess vehicles to designated open spaces outside the Secretariat.
Officials indicated that the relocation would take place once the remaining infrastructure, logistical, and security arrangements are completed.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister #Vijay is preparing to shift to a new sea-facing office located on the 10th floor of an 11-storey building within the Secretariat complex at Fort St. George in Chennai. Preparations and construction works are currently underway to set up the swanky… pic.twitter.com/GHjUzHa6OX
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) July 28, 2026
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