Tamil Nadu Public Works Department Minister Aadhav Arjuna, on Tuesday (August 18, 2026) said Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay was shifting his office to the Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai to accommodate visiting foreign dignitaries, his secretaries and over 200 officials with whom he was working “to create a new vision for the State and restructure the administration.”

Replying in the Assembly to DMK MLA and former Minister E.V. Velu, who cited media reports and complained that work on the Chief Minister’s office had begun before the completion of the tender process, he said there was no truth in the reports.

“The Chief Minister wants to create a convenient and comfortable space for those who work with him. You know, around 80 officials are working with him and there is not even a proper toilet facility. The change is temporary. He is not doing it for his comfort or convenience,” Mr. Arjuna said.

Mr. Velu said while he was happy that the Chief Minister was shifting to the Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai constructed by his leader late M. Karunanidhi, the move would cause inconvenience to other employees.

Mr. Arjuna wondered whether anyone had questioned the decision of Kalaignar (Karunanidhi) and J. Jayalalithaa ‘Amma’ to construct a new Secretariat because the visitors’ room had not been upgraded for many years. “They wanted to construct a new one for this reason. The Chief Minister is functioning from 9.30 a.m. to 5.30 p.m., and his secretaries 1, 2, 3, 4 are working from a cabin that is not bigger than 100 square feet. When dignitaries from the U.S. Consulate and other embassies visit the Chief Minister, there is no adequate space to accommodate them,” he said.

White Papers on tenders by PWD, Highways departments

Alleging only “corruption” had dominated the PWD and Highways Department in the last five years, the Minister said he would soon table a White Paper on tenders called for by the departments during the last five years.

Explaining why the government had not announced a new Schedule of Rates for tenders and had been following the previous year’s rates, the Minister said re-tenders issued for 20 projects had reduced the cost by between 20% and 36%. “I will submit the details to the House. The money has been diverted to the Treasury. If we revise the tender, we have to take into consideration the civil rates, and it will increase by 3% to 5%,” he said.

Published - August 18, 2026 02:46 pm IST