CHENNAI: Despite opposition from various quarters, the PWD has written a letter to the member secretary of the Environment Impact Assessment Authority and requested permission to erect the proposed ‘pen’ monument in honour of former chief minister M Karunanidhi, in the Bay of Bengal off the coast of Marina Beach near Triplicane village in Chennai.
Executive engineer of PWD S Muthamil Arasu sent the letter with documents relating to the proposed construction of ‘Muthamizh Arignar Dr Kalaignar Pen’ (former CM M Karunanidhi’s pen), and requested to process their application for grant of Terms of Reference (TOR) at the earliest. The letter further stated that the proposal was already recommended by the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA).
The State government’s plan to build the monument at Rs 81 crore had evoked a mixed response as many activists expressed their concerns over the pollution on the seashore it could lead to, and urged the State to drop the plan.