THOOTHUKUDI: MP Kanimozhi Karunanidhi garlanded the statue of former municipal chairman Rao Bahadur Cruz Fernandes, to mark his 153rd birth anniversary on Tuesday. Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Minister Geetha Jeevan, Collector Dr K Senthil Raj and Mayor NP Jegan Periyasamy and DMK cadres were present on the occasion. Meanwhile, AIADMK, Congress, AMMK and other groups such as Thoothukudi central traders association also paid their tributes at the statue separately.
Cruz, a five-time municipal chairman has been revered as the Father of Thoothukudi for addressing the water woes of the municipality. He implemented the first piped water scheme to Thoothukudi from Vallanadu, located 24 miles away, in the 1920s. Apart from the dedicated drinking water scheme, Cruz played a pivotal role in establishing the Saturday market, educational trust to support those in need, and cooperative bank. The Tamil Nadu government declared his birthday as a government event and allocated `82 lakh for constructing a memorial at MGR park.