TN Cabinet decides to recommend Jayalalithaa’s name for Bharat Ratna

In its first meeting chaired by Chief Minister O Panneerselvam after Jayalalithaa’s demise, the Cabinet also decided to recommend to the Centre installation of her life-size bronze statue in the Parliament complex. 

“A resolution was adopted in the Cabinet to recommend to the Centre to award Bharat Ratna to honourable Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa,” an official statement detailing the decision taken in Saturday’s meeting said. Further, the Council of Ministers resolved to urge the Centre to install her bronze statue in the Parliament complex, and proposed to raise a memorial building for the deceased leader at the MG Ramachandran (MGR) Memorial site, where she was laid to rest on Tuesday at an estimated cost of Rs 15 crore. 

The Cabinet further resolved to rename the memorial as Dr Puratchi Thalaivar MGR and Puratchi Thalaivi Amma Selvi J Jayalalithaa Memorial, it added. The Cabinet also proposed to unveil a portrait of the leader in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. 

Meanwhile the AIADMK said that a total of 280 people died of shock following the demise of AIADMK Supremo and former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa. 

An AIADMK release on Saturday announced an assistance of Rs 3 lakh to the families of 203 people, who died of shock on hearing about the hospitalisation and the sudden death of Jayalalithaa. The party headquarters released the names of 203 deceased persons from different parts of the state, including Chennai, Vellore, Tiruvallur, Tiruvannamalai, Cuddalore, Krishnagiri, Erode and Tiruppur districts. 

The party expressed its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and announced an assistance of Rs 3 lakh each to them.  Earlier, the party had said that 77 persons had died of shock and grief following Jayalalithaa’s death and announced a similar sum as relief to the families of the deceased.