Construction work on Kalam's memorial to start on Tuesday

The construction work on a memorial for former president A P J Abdul Kalam at his hometown Rameswaram is slated to begin on Tuesday with the Tamil Nadu government allotting land as sought by the Centre and construction material having reached the site.

Kalam's grandnephew, Sheik Salim, said the construction materials have reached the site and thanked the Central and state governments for taking up the initiative.

A state government release on Monday said 1.30 acre land had been allotted for the memorial and the Central Public Works Department has taken steps to fence it.

'The Central Public Works department has set up fence in the place were the State government has allocated the land,' the release said.

The announcement about allotment of land and commencement of the construction work came days after media reports stated that the place where the memorial of the former president was proposed to be built was lying neglected.

Kalam passed away on July 27 in Shillong and was laid to rest at Pei Karumbu in Rameswaram.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced on October 15, the birth anniversary of Kalam, that a memorial would be built for the late 'Missile Man' and had requested the Tamil Nadu government to allocate land for the purpose.

Salim said the construction materials had already reached the site and the Defence Research and Development Organisation and the defence ministry are engaged in the construction work.

"They have told me that construction work will begin on Tuesday and the fencing work will be completed in 15 days," he said.

Commenting on the the signature campaign taken up by various civil society members to drum up support for expediting the construction work, Kalam’s grandnephew said ‘there is no need for such a campaign now’.