CHENNAI: Minister Rajmohan announced in the assembly on Monday (August 24) that a memorial hall will be constructed in Theni district to commemorate the late filmmaker Bharathiraja.

The minister made new announcements during the demands for grants for the School Education, Tamil Development, Information and Publicity departments.

As part of the initiative, a memorial hall with a bronze statue of director Bharathiraja will be established in Theni at an estimated cost of 2.5 crore.

The government will also provide an additional Rs 5.75 crore for establishing a Tamil chair at the University of Houston in the United States, the Minister said.

In another announcement, the government assistance provided for the Chennai Book Fair will be increased from 75 lakh to 1 crore.

The Minister further announced that an integrated memorial complex will be established in Chennai to honour several prominent personalities, including Velu Nachiyar, Periyar EV Ramasamy, BR Ambedkar, former Chief Minister K Kamaraj and freedom fighter Anjalai Ammal.