PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss on Wednesday said the State government’s decision to construct a new Assembly in Pattinapakkam lacked “foresight”, as the area was already congested.

While there was no disagreement over the need for a new Secretariat, the disadvantages of building a secretariat in Pattinapakkam would outweigh the advantages, he said.

“The biggest problem is traffic congestion. Severe congestion already exists on Santhome Road and Pasumpon Muthuramalingam Salai, which is why a loop road has been built to help address the problem. The area is also home to several key buildings, including Santhome Church, prominent schools, and the office of the Inspector General of Registration, which attract a large number of people,” he said.

Dr. Anbumani also said the land identified was not sufficient for the new Secretariat and Legislative Assembly complex. “A functioning Secretariat complex would require facilities such as a fire station, emergency medical services, restaurants, parking facilities, and public transport. If all these infrastructure facilities are created within the identified site, it would be impossible to prevent the kind of space constraints faced in the existing Secretariat complex from occurring in the new complex, and that too very soon,” he said.

AMMK general secretary T.T.V. Dhinakaran on a social media post called upon Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to look for other sites for the new complex, citing various disadvantages of the proposed site, including adverse impact on the livelihood of fishermen living nearby. 

A public hearing should have been held before choosing the site, he added.

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