Memorial for Mullaiperiyar builder! Karuna ridicules Jaya

Chennai: DMK chief M Karunidhi today ridiculed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa for her decision to erect a memorial for British engineer Penny Cuick, who had built the Mullaiperiyar dam, when the state is faced with several burning issues. In the midst of Thane cyclone, Mullaiperiyar dam and Koodankulam issues, “as there is nothing to announce yesterday, a decision on memorial for Penny Cuick was announced by the chief minister”, he told reporters.[caption id=“attachment_178093” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“DMK chief M Karunanidhi. PTI”]  [/caption] The former chief minister also said during his tenure he had already erected a statue for the British engineer in 2000 in Madurai. Amid the simmering dam row involving Tamil Nadu and Kerala, Jayalalithaa on Sunday had announced setting up of a memorial for Cuick, who had constructed the dam over 116 years ago. Kerala has been pressing for decommissioning the dam and building a new one, citing safety concerns. Replying to a question on the relief for Thane cyclone hit people, Karunanidhi said mere announcements by Jayalalithaa about allocation of Rs 850 crore and seeking Rs 5,000 crore from the Centre towards relief works would not amount to their implementation. PTI