Madras High Court dismisses plea against new Tamil Nadu Secretariat

The Madras High Court has dismissed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that sought to block the Tamil Nadu government from constructing a new Secretariat building at Pattinampakkam (Foreshore Estate) in Chennai.

The petitioner, advocate R. S. Tamilvendan, argued that the proposed Rs. 1,200 crore project would waste public funds and negatively impact local fishermen. The plea suggested that the existing Fort St. George buildings should be renovated instead of building a new 20 lakh sq. ft. complex.

During the hearing, a bench comprising Chief Justice S. A. Dharmadhikari and Justice G. Arul Murugan questioned the court's authority to dictate where a government chooses to build. The judges noted that similar challenges were dismissed by the High Court in 2011 and subsequently upheld by the Supreme Court. Facing the possibility of heavy legal costs, the petitioner's counsel requested to withdraw the petition, which the court subsequently granted.