Chennai: Tamilnadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has promulgated an ordinance to temporarily take possession of Veda Nilayam, the Poes Garden residence of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa.
According to an official statement today, the ordinance was also to establish Puratchi Thalaivi Dr J Jayalalithaa Memorial Foundation for making long-term arrangements to convert Veda Nilayam into a memorial.
Chief Minister of Tamilnadu will be the chairperson of the committee, while Deputy Chief Minister, Minister for information and publicity, government officials will be the members. Director of information and public relations will be its member secretary.
According to the notification, the committee will take necessary steps to maintain Veda Nilayam and take necessary steps for the maintenance, upkeep and safety of all movable properties therein.
‘The building of Veda Nilayam, including the movable items such as furniture, books, jewels and others, has been in a state of disuse for more than three years. So, the government has decided to transfer all the immovable and movable properties to the government for its upkeep until the acquisition is complete,’ it said.
Recently, a government notification in this regard said, ‘the acquisition of lands mentioned in the schedule below are needed for the public purpose that is to convert the land and buildings of former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu Selvi J. Jayalalithaa (late) ‘Veda Illam’ at Poes Garden as government memorial.’
It added: ‘There are no Project Affected Families and hence no question of relocation, resettlement and rehabilitation. The plan of the land under acquisition kept in the Office of the Land Acquisition Officer/ Revenue Divisional Officer, South Chennai Revenue Division, Guindy, Chennai 32 and may be inspected at any time during office hours’.
I may be recalled that Jayalalithaa’s niece J Deepa has opposed the Tamilnadu government’s move to convert her aunt’s residence here into a memorial and has moved the Madras High Court.