Built in 1756 and extended in 1762, the barracks housed a royal regiment since inception, and served the purpose of British battalions for two centuries.
| Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B
The previous DMK government led by M.K. Stalin, which had toyed with the idea of shifting the Secretariat and the Assembly out of Fort St. George, made an unsuccessful attempt to build a multi-storeyed heritage structure in the place of King’s Barracks, located behind the Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai.
Explaining the rationale behind the attempt, a senior official recalls that given the shortage of space in the main block of the fort, and at the 10-storeyed Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai, it was proposed to construct a horizontal building, keeping in mind the heritage character of the premises. But the proposal did not receive the approval of the defence authorities retaining a hold over the building that is on the verge of collapse.
In an article in The Hindu on May 27, 2026, writer V. Sriram attributed the condition of the building to differences between the Army and the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). As far as the ASI is concerned, the entire fort premises is under its control, as the fort is a protected monument under the law, and the State government and the Army are only “occupants” of the area. In 2014, the ASI had even announced that it would undertake renovation of the structure, said to be the largest in the country. Nothing much was heard subsequently.
Built in 1756 and extended in 1762, the barracks housed a royal regiment since inception, and served the purpose of British battalions for about two centuries.
Bar on construction
Another official explains that, more than defence, no construction is permitted within a radius of 300 m from an archaeological structure or a national monument. “To carry out repairs on the Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai, the State government has to secure permission from the National Monuments Authority,” the official points out. In view of the bar on construction within the zone, the AIADMK government led by Jayalalithaa could put up an arch only near the War Memorial to mark the diamond jubilee celebration of the State Assembly.
After the inauguration of the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital (KCSSH) in Guindy in June 2023, the talk in official circles was that many sections of the DMK regime were keen on going back to the Omandurar Government Estate, where the Secretariat-Assembly complex had functioned for a year during 2010-11 when M. Karunanidhi was Chief Minister. But due to a “lack of consensus” among the political leadership of the government and civil servants, the idea was shelved.
Another idea that has caught the attention of policy-makers is that a horizontal and multi-storeyed structure could be built on the Marina after demolishing the Ezhilagam building [where the offices of the Commissioner of Revenue and Land Administration and the Civil Supplies Commissioner, among others, are located] and two nearby buildings, including the one that houses the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board. The suggested horizontal structure could be raised, keeping in mind the heritage structure of the adjacent Water Resources Department’s office building.
Responding to this suggestion, the official replies that the place is not adequate to accommodate all the offices of the State government, as the idea is to accommodate them at one place. Even at the Ezhilagam, there are about 25 offices. “Why demolish a building or two when there is empty land,” the official asks, justifying the selection of Foreshore Estate as the site for the Secretariat-Assembly complex.
Published – September 17, 2026 12:36 am IST
