Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay will use a common elevator once his office is shifted to the 10^th floor of the Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai on the premises of Fort St. George.

As of now, the elevator, located on the southern end of the Maaligai, is being used by senior government officers such as the secretaries of different departments.

At present, the Chief Minister’s office functions from the main block of the Fort, where a handful of government departments have been housed. The block also accommodates offices of the Chief Secretary, and Home, Finance, Revenue and Public Secretaries, inaddition to the Assembly Chamber and the Assembly Secretariat.

To a question whether any elevator would be kept exclusively for the Chief Minister, an official replied, “Nothing will be dedicated to the Chief Minister. Since he comes in the morning, he will use the lift.” Besides the common elevator, there are two lifts each at the entrance of three porticos. The government is planning to provide for one more elevator. It is expected that this work will take at least a few months.

Asked about evacuation arrangements for the Chief Minister in times of emergency, the official said a ramp, which is on the northern end, will be used. At present, the ramp is being used as a dumpyard, which will be cleared before Mr. Vijay shifts to the 10^th floor, he said.