Chennai, Sep 15 : Fishermen from nine coastal villages will hold a consultation meeting at Pattinapakkam on Tuesday to discuss their opposition to the Vijay-led TVK government’s proposal to construct a new Secretariat complex in the coastal neighbourhood.
The meeting will take place in front of the Mullikuppam Social Welfare Centre under the auspices of the Mullikuppam-Srinivasapuram and Mullimanagar fishing village panchayat councils.
Representatives of fishing villages stretching from Nettukuppam in Ennore to Nainarkuppam in Chennai district, along with local residents, are expected to participate.
Fishermen’s association sources said the meeting would discuss plans to issue protest notices demanding the withdrawal of the government order related to the proposed project. The fishermen alleged that the order endangered the livelihoods and customary rights of nine fishing settlements in and around Pattinapakkam.
The meeting is expected to decide the next phase of agitation if the government refuses to reconsider the proposed location.
The government has issued an order initiating the process of identifying and finalising land for the administrative complex. Pattinapakkam, along Santhome Road in south Chennai, has emerged as the preferred location, with 24 to 25 acres reportedly being considered for the project.
Community representatives fear that a massive government complex would reduce the space available for fishing-related activities, affect routes used to transport boats and nets, and accelerate the displacement of traditional coastal settlements.
They are also likely to raise concerns over traffic congestion on Santhome Road, pressure on civic infrastructure and the possible environmental impact on the shoreline, including sensitive turtle-nesting stretches.
The Vijay government has argued that a modern Secretariat is required to bring departments together, improve coordination and overcome space and infrastructure limitations at the existing Fort St George complex.
The proposal, however, has drawn criticism over its necessity, location and financial implications. The project has been associated with an estimated borrowing requirement of about Rs 1,200 crore, although the government has yet to disclose its final design, cost or construction schedule.
The controversy has emerged months after C. Joseph Vijay’s Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam assumed office following a sweeping victory in the 2026 Assembly election.
TVK won 108 seats and displaced the DMK government after a high-pitched campaign promising administrative reform and cleaner governance. Fishermen maintained that major development projects affecting the coast could not be implemented without meaningful consultations with traditional fishing communities.
Chennai fishermen to meet today against TVK govt's new secretariat plan
