Chennai: The Madras High Court today recommended that one part of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa’s Poes Garden residence Veda Nilayam can be converted into Chief Minister’s office.
The court also said that one part of Veda Nilayam should be converted as Memorial. It further said Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa and Deepak have rights for her assets. One part of Jayalalithaa’s assets should be taken and a trust should be formed to monitor it , the court added.
It may be noted Tamilnadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit recently promulgated an ordinance to temporarily take possession of Veda Nilayam.
According to an official statement, 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 Tamilnadu Selvi J. Jayalalithaa (late) ‘Veda Illam’ at Poes Garden as government memorial.”