AIADMK questions Tamil Nadu's new Secretariat plan amid heavy borrowing concerns

The AIADMK general secretary has renewed his attack on the state government's plan to build a new Secretariat-Assembly complex at Pattinapakkam, questioning the rationale behind the project when Tamil Nadu has borrowed heavily in recent months.

Financial burden and location concerns

Edappadi K. Palaniswami told reporters in Madurai that the TVK government has borrowed ₹40,000 crore in just the first four months since it came to power in May, 2026. The former Chief Minister argued that given this financial position, the state should not be pursuing the Secretariat project at this stage.

He said the government should first address the state's financial crisis before undertaking the construction, and that when it does proceed, it should select a different site that would not adversely affect people and create traffic congestion. Palaniswami said the government should reconsider the Pattinapakkam site, where the fishing community lives. He pointed out that there are schools located in the area, and the site generally witnesses a lot of traffic jams.

Power sector mismanagement alleged

On the power situation, the AIADMK leader said Energy Resources Minister C.T.R. Nirmal Kumar has been denying the fact that there were frequent power cuts in the state under TVK rule, yet an additional 2,000 MW of electricity was being procured from the open market to mitigate Tamil Nadu's power shortage. He said hiding these facts will not help the government solve the power crisis, and it should instead take constructive steps.

Criticism over bypolls and resignations

Responding to the Madras High Court expressing concern over MLAs resigning from political parties and re-contesting the upcoming bypolls on behalf of other parties, Palaniswami said the bye-elections in Madurantakam and Dharapuram were "forced upon the people of Tamil Nadu". He alleged that the TVK had brought the two AIADMK MLAs, who are now candidates in the bypolls, into its fold through horse-trading and forced them to resign against the will of the voters of those constituencies. Even the Left parties that are supporting the TVK government have flayed this, he added.

Corruption and law-and-order concerns

Debunking the claim of the TVK of having provided a corruption-free administration, Palaniswami said several lakhs of rupees have been seized by the DVAC during its raids from various government offices in the past few months, proving that corruption has actually risen under the TVK regime.

Pointing to the abduction of an elderly trader in Tenkasi district, the AIADMK leader said the law and order situation in the state has deteriorated. The government has also failed to contain the price hike of foodgrains, and the general public is badly hit, he added.

Source: The Hindu