CHENNAI: Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Friday laid the foundation for a memorial for freedom fighter Ramasamy Padayachiyar at Manjakuppam village in Cuddalore district, through video conferencing at the Secretariat. The memorial will come up with a life-size bronze statue of the late leader, at an estimated cost of `2.15 crore.
On June 29, the Chief Minister announced in the Assembly that a memorial would be raised for Padayachiyar in a befitting manner and that his birth anniversary would be celebrated by the State government every year. Fulfilling that promise, a couple of weeks ago, funds were allocated for the memorial.
Ministers MC Sampath, KC Veeramani, CVe Shanmugam, KP Anbazhagan and R Doraikkannu and a large number of AIADMK functionaries and cadre took part in the ceremony.
In Chennai, Deputy CM O Panneerselvam, senior ministers, Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan and officials were present.
MLAs KA Pandian, N Murugumaran and Sathya Panneerselvam and MPs M Chandrakasi and Arunmozhithevan boycotted the foundation laying ceremony.
Party sources said they have been at loggerheads with M C Sampath for a long time and they have been boycotting any function presided over by him.
Three MLAs, two MPs boycott function MLAs KA Pandian,
N Murugumaran and Sathya Panneerselvam and MPs M Chandrakasi and Arunmozhithevan boycotted the ceremony of the memorial. Party sources said they have been at loggerheads with M C Sampath for a long time and they have been boycotting any function presided over by him.