Cabinet approves setting up of Kalam memorial at Dilli Haat

The Delhi Cabinet on Wednesday approved setting up of a memorial for former president APJ Abdul Kalam at Dilli Haat in south Delhi.

The Delhi cabinet on Wednesday approved setting up of a memorial for former president APJ Abdul Kalam at Dilli Haat in south Delhi.

The Delhi cabinet approved setting up of a memorial for former president APJ Abdul Kalam at Dilli Haat. (AFP)

The Department of Art and Culture will be the nodal department for the project. It has been decided that the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) will be assigned the work of setting-up this memorial.

The Aam Aadmi Party government decided to set up the memorial after APJ Mohamed Muthu Meeran Lebbal Maraikayar, the elder brother of Dr Kalam -- in his letter addressed to the Delhi chief minister -- had requested the Delhi government to set up a ‘Kalam National Centre for Knowledge Discovery’ in New Delhi.

This issue had also stoked political slugfests between the AAP government and the Centre after the latter decided to transport Dr Kalam’s belongings to his hometown from 10, Rajaji Marg -- the official residence of Kalam after his term got over -- in Lutyen’s Delhi. The bungalow was later allotted to Union culture minister, Mahesh Sharma.

Earlier this month, the AAP government brought back a truckload of possessions, belongings and personal artefacts belonging to Kalam from his hometown Rameshwaram. The belongings are currently kept in the Delhi Assembly complex.

Sources said the Finance Department will also provide R 6.5 crore to the Art and Culture department for the purpose.

“It has also been decided that a committee of researchers, architects of DTTDC and an ex-curator of the national museum will be formed for preparing a DPR. A sum of Rs 5.29 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose,” an official said.