A public interest litigation has been filed in the Madras High Court seeking direction to stop the newly formed government from shifting the Secretariat and the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly from Omandurar Government Estate back to Fort. St. George.
In his writ petition, G.Krishnamurthy, an advocate in the Madras High Court, said the reshifting was against public interest and unmindful of the huge expenditure of money already spent.
At a time when the new government in power was worried about empty coffers, the government should not be allowed to waste the sum of Rs.1,100 crore, the cost of building the new complex at Omandurar Government Estate.
ADVERTISEMENT
The decision to shift could damage the books at the library at the Old Assembly Hall and the government should not waste time in shifting when it has important work and welfare measures.
If the present trend was allowed, then it would set an example for shifting whenever there was a change of guard and the burden would be on the general public, the petitioner said, praying for an interim injunction restraining the respondents from shifting the Secretariat - Assembly complex back to Fort.St. George pending disposal of the main writ petition.