Tamil Nadu Chief Minister's Office to Shift to Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai Amid Secretariat Space Constraints

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister`s Office (CMO) is set to relocate from the historic Main Building at Fort St. George to the 10th floor of Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai (NKM) as renovation work gathers pace to accommodate Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay.

The move comes in response to persistent space constraints at the Secretariat, particularly due to the increasing number of visitors and administrative requirements. The relocation marks one of the most significant changes to the Secretariat`s functioning since the government offices were shifted back to Fort St. George in 2011.

According to government officials, the Public Works Department (PWD) has begun preparations for the transition. The new Chief Minister`s Office will be established in the existing dining hall adjacent to the conference hall on the 10th floor of Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai. Existing furniture and fixtures are being shifted to Kalaivanar Arangam to make way for the new office.

The relocation will also require the movement of sections from three key government departments currently functioning on the 10th floor:

- Information and Tamil Development Department

- Home (Prohibition) Department

- Commercial Taxes Department

Officials said the Information and Tamil Development Department will be shifted to Kalaivanar Arangam, while the Home (Prohibition) and Commercial Taxes Department sections will be relocated to other available spaces within the Fort St. George Secretariat campus.

Since assuming office, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay has been functioning from the first floor of the Main Building at Fort St. George, where the Chief Minister`s Office has remained for more than six decades. Officials said the relocation is primarily intended to address space limitations and improve administrative efficiency.

The proposed move recalls the major Secretariat relocation undertaken during the 2006–2011 DMK government, when the Secretariat shifted to the newly constructed Omandurar Government Estate in 2010. However, after the AIADMK government led by J. Jayalalithaa assumed office in 2011, the Secretariat returned to Fort St. George, while the Omandurar complex was later converted into a multi-speciality government hospital.

Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai, a 10-storey administrative building that houses the offices of Secretaries and sections of 34 government departments, was constructed by Parsn Foundation and Engineering Company and inaugurated in 1975 during the tenure of former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi. The building has undergone several renovations over the years and is now being upgraded to accommodate the Chief Minister`s Office.