CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Thursday inaugurated the refurbished 10-storey building — Namakkal Kavingar Maaligai — at the Secretariat and separate gyms for men and women staff.
While the renovation works at the building cost ` 28 crore, the expenses incurred for the gyms were around `50 lakh for the gyms. The Chief Minister lit the traditional lamp to mark the inauguration.
Renovation of the external facade of the multi-storey building comprised traditional and modern architectural features. The Chief Minister had laid the foundation for the renovation on March 3, 2012.
Power-saving lighting arrangements inside the building, centralised air conditioning, measures to ensure dust-free environment, installation of glass panels to prevent penetration of heat of sun upto 3,540 sq ft, a spacious lawn (1,700 sq ft) in front of the building, etc., are the highlights of the renovation.
The gyms for the Secretariat staff have many sports equipment - five treadmills, three elliptical equipment, two recumbent bikes, three leg curl and leg extension, dual leg press/calf raise, two lat pull down and vertical row, two seated calf raise, two multi pressers, multi bench-all in one, two abdominal/lower back, Smith machine and two Olympic Weightlifting Challenge Revolving Set.
Meanwhile, after inaugurating the facility, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa enquired about the equipment and advised the trainers there to maintain the equipment and the gyms in good condition.