Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay started discharging his official duties from a newly renovated government bungalow in Chennai on Thursday, November 5, 2026. The bungalow, called ‘Pamani Illam’, sits in the Podhigai Compound on Greenways Road, and it is now his camp office.

Official sources said Vijay was present at the camp office for nearly three hours on Thursday and carried out his work from there. He inspected the premises earlier, on a few occasions, while the Public Works Department carried out the renovation.

The move changes where the Chief Minister works day to day. Since assuming office, Vijay had been working from his office in the main block of Fort St. George on weekdays. He had been commuting from his residence at Neelankarai, roughly 18 kilometres from the Secretariat. On certain occasions, he had also used a residence in a multi-storeyed building in Pattinapakkam.

Now the camp office gives him a base much closer to the centre of government activity in Chennai. Commuting from Neelankarai to the Secretariat covers a long stretch of the city, and a working base on Greenways Road changes that routine.

Inside the bungalow

The PWD recently allotted the bungalow for use as the Chief Minister’s camp office after finishing the renovation work. The property spreads over about 5,000 sq. ft., and it has been fitted with a range of facilities.

Among them are meeting rooms where the Chief Minister can hold discussions with Ministers and officials. These rooms are central to how a chief minister runs day-to-day administration, because decisions on policy and departmental matters are often taken through such meetings.

The premises will also be used to receive dignitaries and visitors on official visits. That makes the bungalow more than a private workspace. It becomes a formal venue where the state presents itself to outside guests.

The premises will also be used to receive dignitaries and visitors on official visits, sources said.

Who lived there before

The bungalow was previously occupied by former Chief Secretary V. Irai Anbu. Its shift from a senior bureaucrat’s official residence to the Chief Minister’s camp office marks a change in how the government is using the property.

The bigger shift at the Secretariat

The bungalow is not the only change under way. Steps were already underway to move the Chief Minister’s office inside the Secretariat from the main block of Fort St. George to the 10th floor of Namakkal Kavignar Maligai. Taken together, the two moves show a reorganisation of where the Chief Minister works in Chennai.

Officials have not, in the reporting available, laid out a full timeline for the Secretariat relocation. What is clear is that the government is spreading the Chief Minister’s working spaces across several locations, with the Pamani Illam office now active.

Why this matters beyond the address

For a new Chief Minister, the first months in office are often defined by where he sits and who he sees. A dedicated camp office with meeting rooms, space for visiting dignitaries and a location close to the city centre gives Vijay a practical setup to run the government and receive visitors.

The renovation was carried out by the Public Works Department, and the bungalow was allotted only after that work was complete. The sequence shows the state treated the property as a functional upgrade rather than a symbolic one, although the facilities and the choice of location will likely draw attention from observers in the coming weeks.

Vijay’s habit of inspecting the bungalow several times during the renovation also stands out. It suggests a hands-on approach to the setup, with the Chief Minister taking a direct role in preparing the space before moving in.

The story is a local administrative change in Tamil Nadu. It does not carry a direct link to Andhra Pradesh or Telangana.

What comes next

The coming days will show how often Vijay uses Pamani Illam as his base, how the Secretariat office shift is handled, and how the new meeting rooms are used for discussions with Ministers and senior officials. Visits by dignitaries will also indicate how the state plans to use the premises for formal engagements.

Thursday’s three-hour session was the first confirmed day of official work from the camp office. Whether it becomes the Chief Minister’s regular base in Chennai will become clearer as the new routine settles in.

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