Union Home Minister Amit Shah is set to arrive in Chennai on Wednesday, 18 August for a two-day visit, with security significantly heightened at Chennai airport and along East Coast Road ahead of a high-level conference of southern Chief Ministers at Kovalam in Chengalpattu district. The meeting, scheduled for Thursday at a private luxury hotel on East Coast Road, will bring together the Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Puducherry.

Shah's Itinerary

According to the official schedule, Shah will depart New Delhi aboard a special aircraft and land at the old airport in Chennai at 7.40 pm on Wednesday. Senior government officials and security personnel are expected to receive him on arrival. He will then travel by road to Kovalam, where he will stay overnight ahead of Thursday's deliberations.

After chairing the conference, Shah is scheduled to leave Kovalam by road at around 2.30 pm on Thursday, reach the old airport at approximately 3.30 pm, and depart for New Delhi aboard a special flight at 3.45 pm.

Security Arrangements

Elaborate security measures are being put in place along the entire convoy route from the airport to Kovalam, with particular focus on East Coast Road. Additional security personnel will be deployed at the old airport on both Wednesday and Thursday. Surveillance and vehicle checks will be intensified along the route.

The Chennai airport authorities received formal communication from New Delhi on Tuesday morning regarding the visit. A security review meeting was convened at the old airport on Tuesday afternoon, attended by senior officials from Chennai airport, the city police, airport security agencies, VIP security units, and the Intelligence Bureau. The entire old airport complex will remain under enhanced security cover throughout the two-day visit, with access to sensitive areas closely regulated.

What the Conference Will Cover

Discussions at the Kovalam meeting are expected to focus on issues concerning the southern region and matters requiring coordination between the Centre and the respective state governments. Senior officials from all participating states and the Union Territory of Puducherry are also expected to attend. The Centre-South dialogue format is significant, given ongoing debates over fiscal devolution, law enforcement coordination, and infrastructure priorities in southern states.

Context and Significance

This comes amid periodic friction between the Centre and several southern state governments — notably Tamil Nadu and Kerala — over issues ranging from tax revenue sharing to policing jurisdiction. A direct engagement chaired by the Home Minister with all five southern Chief Ministers is relatively rare and signals an effort to reset or reinforce Centre-state coordination on security and governance matters. Notably, Puducherry's inclusion underscores the Centre's intent to address Union Territory-specific concerns alongside those of full states.