Tamil Nadu government has formally started the process to acquire Veda Nilayam, the residence of former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa in the city's posh Poes Garden, to be converted into a memorial.
Veda Nilayam- named after Jayalalithaa's mother Vedavalli - was home to the former chief minister's final 35 years of her life before she died in 2016. Various reports say that in 1967, Vedavalli bought the house for around ₹1.30 lakhs. The house is today one of the most popular residences in the State.
The Chennai Collector today issued an advertisement to acquire the property for the public purpose.
The three-storied building is classified under Ryotwari Manai Quit Rent, and the legal heir is to be ascertained. The house has two mango trees; one jackfruit tree; five coconut trees and five banana trees.
This project does not involve the displacement of any families or relocation. There are no Project Affected Families and hence no question of relocation, resettlement and rehabilitation of the affected families, the advertisement said.
In August 2017, Chief Minister Edapaddi K Palaniswami announced that Jayalalithaa’s residence Veda Nilayam would be converted into a memorial.
On January 6, in his address at the Assembly, Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit said that a memorial dedicated to Jayalalithaa is being built for ₹50.80 crore in Chennai.
The decision to convert Veda Illam into a memorial was given the clearance after Chennai district collectorate gave its green signal in August 2019. The report that was made public then said Jayalalithaa was a phenomenal woman leader in a male-dominated society and a role model to women across the country. Converting the house into a memorial was an appropriate decision.