LOWER CAMP (THENI): Chief minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday inaugurated a memorial for British engineer  Col John Pennycuick , who was instrumental in building the 118-year-old Mullaperiyar dam that has remained the lifeline of five districts in southern Tamil Nadu, at the Lower Camp in Theni district.

Nestled in the foothills of lush green western ghats, the memorial announced exactly a year ago when the protest over Mullaperiyar rights was at its peak between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. The inauguration of the Rs 1.25 crore memorial, coincides with the birth anniversary of Pennycuick, who is regarded as a demigod by the farmers in Theni.

Inaugurating the memorial, Jayalalithaa announced that a similar memorial would be built for Karikal Chola, one among the popular Chola kings, who built Grand Anicut (Kallanai) across river Cooleroon.

“Kallanai is much older than the Mullaperiyar dam. It was an engineering marvel built more than 2,000 years and continuing to benefit crores of people even today. It is the oldest among the dams still in use. A memorial would be built to honour and express gratitude to Karikal Chola,” Jayalalithaa said.

Narrating the legal struggles by Tamil Nadu government in exercising its rights over Mullaperiyar dam, she said that the case was being heard in the Supreme Court. “The empowered committee constituted by the Supreme Court had submitted its report on April 2012 stating that Mullaperiyar dam was strong and safe and recommended that the water level can be raised to 142 feet as per an earlier order. The committee also categorically recommended that after the maintenance works, the level can be raised to 152 feet. I believe that the Supreme Court would award a favourable judgement for Tamil Nadu based on the report,” she said.

She also took the opportunity to hit out at the Central government and charged that it had to failed to act on a Tamil Nadu assembly resolution regarding Mullaperiyar dam. “Tamil Nadu assembly passed a resolution in December 2011 seeking deployment of the Central Reserve Police Force to protect the dam. Besides, in accordance with the Supreme Court order that enabled raising of the water level in the dam to 142 feet the resolution sought that the Kerala government should amend its Act that restricted the water level. We had also requested that the Kerala government should not hinder the long-term maintenance work in the dam. But the Centre has not taken any action based on the resolution,” she said.

Jayalalithaa also hit out at DMK  chief M Karunanidhi denying charges that the AIADMK government had failed to protect the Thiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari. Noting that it was during her tenure that Rs 1.28 crore was allocated for the statue, she said that every four or five years chemical coating was given to the 133-feet tall statue.

source: http://www.timesofindia.indiatimes.com / Home> City> Madurai / TNN / January 16th, 2013