The State government on Tuesday informed the Madras High Court that the statue of thespian Sivaji Ganesan, presently located on Kamarajar Salai along the Marina Beach here, would be shifted and installed at the new memorial, which it has proposed to construct soon.
An affidavit filed by Secretary of Tamil Development and Information Department, against a petition seeking to shift the statue from the present location, stated that the statue would be “shifted and relocated inside the memorial immediately after its completion.”
The State government had on August 26 announced in the Assembly that it would construct a manimandapam for him in the land allotted to South Indian Film Artiste Association. The land measuring up to 65 cents in Mylapore-Triplicane taluk in Chennai district is located adjacent to Andhra Mahila Sabha Hospital near Sathya Studio, the affidavit stated.
On the government’s submission, a Division Bench comprising Justices Satish Kumar Agnihotri and K.K. Sasidaran posted the case for September 16.
Soon after the statue was installed in 2006 in the present location, a petitioner moved the Madras High Court seeking a direction to authorities to remove the statue, contending that it affected traffic in the area and sought to provide an alternative site to install it. The High Court had directed that a decision regarding the issue be taken in the light of its observation as soon as possible. The petitioner later filed a contempt petition seeking for action by authorities on the issue.
