Chennai: Reversing yet another decision of the
previous DMK regime, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa
today decided to convert the Anna Centenary Library Complex
into a super-speciality paediatric hospital.
The library, claimed to be one of the largest in Asia, was
constructed at Kotturpuram near the Anna University, a site
chosen by the AIADMK government during 2001-06 for the
construction of a new secretariat complex.
The Jayalalithaa government had already shifted the new
Assembly-cum secretariat complex, a pet project of DMK Chief M
Karunanidhi, to Fort St.George, which is under the control of
Defence Ministry.
The Tamil Nadu Cabinet, which met here yesterday decided to
shift the Anna Centenary Library constructed at a cost of over
Rs 600 crore, to the proposed integrated knowledge centre to
come up at the present directorate of public instruction at
Egmore.
Jayalalithaa said in a statement today that a super
speciality hospital for children had not been established anywhere in the country so far.
Her government had earlier decided to convert the new
assembly complex as a medical college and a super speciality
hospital.
Giving reasons for shifting the Anna Centenary library,
constructed as part of the centenary celebrations of the DMK
founder late C N Annadurai three years back, Jayalalithaa said
the new knowledge centre would be nearer to the Connemara and
National Book Libraries and it would be appropriate to shift
the modern library to the new complex.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had addressed over
1500 students from the auditorium set up at the centenary
library during her maiden visit to Chennai in July last.
PTI
