Chennai, Sep 29 — A proposal to build a new Secretariat and Assembly complex on Chennai’s seafront drew a protest on Tuesday, with fishing communities calling on the Tamil Nadu government to abandon the Pattinapakkam site.
Protesters from coastal areas stretching from Ennore to Kovalam assembled at Srinivasapuram Beach in Foreshore Estate. Women were among the hundreds who joined the sit-in, while another group marched with black flags.
Police placed barricades near the venue and diverted traffic. The protesters said the proposed ₹1,200-crore complex would occupy more than 24 acres of land used by fishing communities.
They fear it could force families from the area, interfere with fishing activities and limit public access to the sea.
The demonstration brought together fishermen from across Chennai’s coastal belt. Participants urged the government to listen to families whose work depends on access to the shore before advancing the project.
The Chief Minister Vijay government plans to shift the Secretariat and Assembly from Fort St George to Foreshore Estate.
On September 8, it issued a government order granting in-principle approval to begin the process of constructing the complex. The order has sharpened concerns among residents who depend on the beach and nearby waters for their daily work.
Fishermen said access to the sea must be protected and that a project of this scale should account for the needs of communities already living and working along the shore.
Tuesday’s protest brought those concerns into public view as participants occupied the beachfront and raised black flags.
The gathering took place amid a heightened police presence and traffic restrictions in the coastal area.
For the protesters, the demand is that the government withdraw the Pattinapakkam plan before construction preparations advance.
They maintain that the proposed site is a working coast for fishing families and that converting it into a government complex would put their traditional livelihood at risk.
The demonstration also reflected a wider concern among fishing communities from Ennore to Kovalam about retaining access to Chennai’s shoreline as the state considers a new location for its seat of government.