The Tamil Nadu government’s proposal to construct a new Assembly and Secretariat complex at Pattinapakkam in Chennai has met with opposition from fishermen and residents of coastal settlements in the area, who have raised concerns over its possible impact on their traditional livelihood and access to the coast, as reported in The Hindu.
The proposed complex, estimated to cost around ₹1,200 crore, is planned at Foreshore Estate, close to the Chief Minister’s office in Pattinapakkam. A government order proposing the project was issued on Wednesday.
Representatives of fishing communities from settlements stretching from Nochikuppam to Srinivasapuram along the Marina Loop Road have opposed the proposal, arguing that the construction and the security arrangements around the Secretariat could restrict their access to the coastal spaces they depend on for their livelihood.
“நாங்க மீன்காரங்க இங்கதான் இருப்போம்.. தலைமைச் செயலகம் வேற எங்கனாவது கட்டட்டும்..” “நாங்க காலி பண்ண மாட்டோம்.. போராடுவோம்” – தங்கள் பகுதியில் தலைமைச் செயலகம் கட்டப்படுவது குறித்து பட்டினப்பாக்கம் பகுதி மக்கள்#Chennai | #NewSecretariat | #Pattinapakkam | #TNGovt |… pic.twitter.com/JqaxTGINXm
— PttvOnlinenews (@PttvNewsX) September 9, 2026
Community leader K. Bharathi said the fishing communities were already facing difficulties because of restrictions and changes introduced in the area. He reportedly said that the implementation of the Blue Flag beach scheme and the use of the Marina Loop Road for regular traffic had already affected fishing-related activities.
According to Bharathi, fishermen were struggling to find adequate space on the beach to park boats, store and repair fishing nets and sell their catch. He also said that a smaller road connecting the fishing settlements along the coast had increasingly become a major thoroughfare for general traffic.
Bharathi further alleged that court orders and directions from officials often treated these coastal spaces as areas that could not be claimed by the fishing communities, without adequately considering the nature of their traditional occupation. He expressed concern that the establishment of the Secretariat would bring heightened security restrictions and make access to these areas even more difficult.
V.R. Vijayan of the Maylai Pagudhi Anaithu Meenava Grama Panchayat Sabhai reportedly said that more than 1,500 fishing families could be affected if the proposed complex came up at the site.
The fishermen also claimed that the land identified for the Secretariat had historically been associated with community leader Sindhanai Sirpi Singaravelar, who had reportedly gifted the land to the fishing communities. They said they had been demanding that the land be returned to them.
Members of the fishing community said the proposed construction could affect several generations of families who had lived and worked in the area. They reportedly maintained that the government should reconsider the project and address their demand for housing and continued access to the coastal area.
Meanwhile, representatives of around 140 fishing villages from Tiruvallur to Chengalpattu are scheduled to meet on Tuesday to discuss the government’s decision. The representatives are expected to pass a resolution opposing the proposed Secretariat and decide on their further course of action.
The fishermen have maintained that the project is not merely a question of construction but could directly affect their access to the coast, fishing-related activities and the settlements where their families have lived for generations.
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