CHENNAI: A row erupted in the state Assembly on Tuesday after former DMK minister and whip E V Velu raised questions on the relocation of the Chief Minister’s office, alleging procedural lapses in the tender process and flagged the stalled works of the Periyar Arivulagam in Coimbatore and statue and memorial in Kerala’s Vaikom.
Speaking on the grants for the public works and highways department, Velu told the House that the CM’s office shift was under way without the Rs 5.54 crore tender for the work being floated online.
“There is some confusion in this. A newspaper report has already flagged it. The tender was floated almost after the work on the CM’s room was nearly complete,” he said, adding that officials at the Namakkal Kavignar Maligai have already been complaining of space constraints.
Responding to it, minister Aadhav Arjuna denied the claim, calling the newspaper report inaccurate.
“The tender for the CM’s room has not even been finalised yet. We will soon release a white paper on the public works and highways departments covering the last five years,” he said.
He further said that CM C Joseph Vijay decided to shift his office from Fort St George to the 10th floor of Namakkal Kavignar Maligai to provide more comfortable and adequate space for officials, dignitaries visiting him and the staff working at the office.
He also added that both former CMs M Karunanidhi and J Jayalalithaa had, during their tenure, wanted a new secretariat building constructed, and that the current shift is a temporary measure.
“The four secretaries are currently working in spaces of less than 100 sq ft, and there is no proper toilet facility for officials. The CM wants all officers and staff to have proper facilities,” he said.
Velu raised the delayed opening of the Periyar Library (Periyar Arivulagam) in Coimbatore, saying only 5% of the work remained pending. He also flagged the delay in constructing a new memorial and statue for Periyar at Arukutty in Kerala’s Vaikom, the site where Periyar was jailed during the Vaikom Satyagraha, at an estimated cost of Rs 3.90 crore that has been stalled for three months.
