TN govt lists Jaya’s movable, immovable items at ”Veda Nilayam” residence

PTI, Jul 29, 2020, 5:15 PM IST

Chennai: Nearly 4 kg gold, 601 kg silver, over 8,300 books, 10,438 dress material, and other cloth and puja items are among the numerous things that figure in the exhaustive list of movable and immovable properties in late Chief Minister J Jayalalitha”s Poes Garden residence here.

The late AIADMK supremo had lived at ”Veda Nilayam,” a three-storeyed building, before she breathed her last in December 2016, and the state government had in 2017 announced converting the posh property into a memorial.

The state government will transfer the movable and immovable properties to the Puratchi Thalaivi Dr. J Jayalalithaa Memorial Foundation, which is to be formed for making arrangements to convert Veda Nilayam into a memorial.

It will be headed by chief minister K Palaniswami. The list of properties inside Jayalalithaa’s bungalow also includes two Mango trees, a Jack Fruit tree, and five coconut and banana trees each, as per the state government ordinance issued in May.

There were a total of 32,721 movable properties. Governor Banwarilal Purohit had promulgated the ordinance in May to facilitate the temporary possession of Jayalalithaa’s residence to convert it into a memorial.

The building of Veda Nilayam, including movable items such as furniture, books, jewels, etc. are in a state of disuse for more than three years, the ordinance said. So the government decided to transfer all the immovable and movable properties to the government for its upkeep until the acquisition process is complete.

“Hence, the Governor of Tamil Nadu Banwarilal Purohit has promulgated an ordinance to temporarily take possession of Veda Nilayam and movable items therein to the state government and to establish (the) Puratchi Thalaivi, Dr. J Jayalalithaa Memorial Foundation for making long term arrangements to convert Veda Nilayam as a memorial,” it said.

Incidentally, the state government had on July 25 deposited Rs 67.9 crore in the city Civil Court for acquiring Veda Nilayam. Of the sum, Rs 36.9 crore would be paid towards IT and wealth tax arrears which Jayalalithaa had reportedly owed the Income Tax department, thus freeing it of any encumbrances.