The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday passed a resolution to allocate Rs 15 crore to construct a memorial for former chief minister Jayalalithaa, who died on Monday. “The money has been allotted, and officials have taken the measurements around where Amma was laid to rest,” a minister told The Hindu on Friday, adding that a tender for the project will be floated soon.
Jayalalithaa was buried next to her mentor MG Ramachandran’s memorial off Marina Beach in Chennai on Tuesday evening. She was accorded a state funeral and honoured with a 21-gun salute. Her close aide Sasikala Natarajan performed the final rites.
Officials of the Public Works Department said they had not come up with a design for the structure yet, and that the construction of the memorial was still in the preliminary planning stage. “We have yet to receive a directive from the government in this regard. We are only carrying out minor repair work on the site. Temporary arrangements like provision of tent and barricades around the site have been made,” officials told The Hindu.
In another development, newly-inducted Tamil Nadu Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and senior Cabinet members met Natarajan, who is also called “Chinna Amma”, at Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden home on Friday. It was their second time meeting since the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief’s death. “She may not have the brilliance of Jayalalithaa, but must have learnt a lot by her close association with her,” a senior party leader told The Hindu. “She excels in back room political manoeuvres.”
The meeting came amid speculation on who will lead the AIADMK following Jayalalithaa’s death on Monday. While Natarajan holds no official position within the AIADMK, senior party leaders have not denied that she could be a front-runner for party chief.
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