The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court that the statue of thespian Sivaji Ganesan at a main road junction in Chennai would be shifted to the proposed memorial.
A submission to this effect was made by the Secretary, Tamil Development and Information Department, before a Division Bench comprising Justices Satish K. Agnihotri and K.K. Sasidharan.
The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by one P. Nagarajan in connection with implementation of the January 23 court order in connection with the writ over removing the statue.
The department in its counter affidavit stated that the Chief Minister had announced on the floor of the Assembly that a ‘manimandapam’ (memorial) would be built on the 65 cents of land allotted to South Indian Film Artiste Association as per a government order.
The counter submitted that the delay in implementing the court order on shifting the statue was neither wilful nor wanton, but purely due to administrative reasons.
When the Bench asked the government pleader how much time it would take to build the memorial, he replied that he would get instructions, following which the matter was posted to September 16 for further hearing.
