The Union Ministry of Environment has recently provided Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the construction of the Karunanidhi Pen Memorial in the sea near Chennai’s iconic Marina Beach. This decision comes with 15 specific conditions and certain general conditions outlined by the ministry.
In a letter dated 19 June, the Union Ministry of Environment stated that the CRZ clearance was granted based on the recommendations of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) and the Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority.
The proposed Karunanidhi Pen Statue is planned to stand at a height of 42 meters, situated 360 meters away from the coast in the sea. It will be connected to the existing Karunanidhi memorial near Chennai’s Marina Beach through a bridge.
The estimated cost of the project is around ₹80 crore, with a total project area covering 8,551.13 square meters. Approximately 2,263 square meters of sea area will need to be reclaimed to construct the monument.
However, the Union Ministry’s decision to grant CRZ clearance for the Karunanidhi Pen Statue has faced criticism from BJP sympathizers. They argue that the DMK government has been targeting BJP members, especially after the arrest of DMK Minister Senthil Balaji by the Enforcement Directorate. The timing of the permission grant has not been well received by BJP supporters in Tamil Nadu, who claim that local BJP leaders are being unjustly detained by the DMK government in the state.
It is important to highlight that the DMK government has been making plans for the construction of the Karunanidhi Pen Statue at Marina Beach, intending for it to be taller than the Thiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari.
This move is seen by some as an attempt by the DMK to elevate Karunanidhi’s stature above that of Thiruvalluvar, suggesting that Tamil Nadu’s prosperity is solely attributed to the DMK and its leaders like Karunanidhi. The decision to allocate a budget of ₹80 crores for the construction of the Pen Statue has faced criticism from the Tamil people, particularly considering the state of Tamil Nadu government’s finances. The approval granted by the BJP government at the center for the Karunanidhi statue has been viewed as a disregard for the sentiments of the people.
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