CM lays foundation stone for new Secretariat

Chennai, Jun 12 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today laid the foundation stone for constructing a new state-of -the-art Assembly Secretariat, that would blend modern and traditional Tamil features with a futuristic look.

To be constructed under a German design, the new Assembly complex would come up at a cost of Rs 200 crore and would have more than 6.50 lakh sq ft to house the offices of the Chief Minister, ministers, offices of various ministries and government departments.

The state government had decided to construct a new complex due to space constraints at the Fort St George, which houses the Assembly complex at present.

The new complex would have a dome similar to the one at the Valluvar Kottam and it would be a modern facility.

It would have a futuristic look, to signify that the state was staying abreast of the times. It would have a courtyard and would contain extensive use of traditional Tamil Kolam art and elements from the Valluvar Kottam such as the dome.

Berlin-based German architects Von Gerkan, Marg und Partner has designed the new Legislative Assembly building.

Mr Karunanidhi had watched a presentation of the new complex yesterday.

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