Work on memorial for Kalam to begin tomorrow

Members of the DRDO team informed that the construction of the memorial for the ‘people’s’ president would commence from Saturday. A team of experts from the DRDO conducted a detailed inspection Kalam’s memorial at Peikarumbu in Ramanathapuram district on Thursday and ascertained various details. Subsequently, the team members held a discussion focussing on various aspects with regard to construction of the memorial. The plan was discussed with a proposed blueprint. The team members took the exact measurement of the area from the burial ground to the statue to get a clear picture of the memorial. The experts told this paper that Rs 50 crore has been allotted for the construction of the memorial and the knowledge centre at the Peikarumbu site. In the first phase, a memorial would be built on an area of 27,000 square feet. This work would be carried out at a cost of Rs 15 crores. It would cover both the burial site and the statue, the team members added. The construction would commence on Saturday on the birth anniversary of Abdul Kalam. The entire construction activity is expected to be completed by July 10, next year. “In other words, the memorial would be fully ready by the next death anniversary of Kalam, which falls on July 27,” they said. The knowledge centre has scheduled in the second phase. The center would be constructed at a cost of Rs 35 crore. The work to construct the knowledge centre would begin after the second death anniversary in July next year. Besides, this planetarium, museum and an auditorium would be constructed during the second phase along with knowledge centre, the DRDO officials  informed. The museum would depict the life history of Kalam, sources said Earlier this year in July, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar while participating in the former president’s death anniversary said the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which has taken up the task of constructing the memorial, would not allow “a single day’s delay.” Parrikar along with his cabinet colleague unveiled a life size bronze statue of Kalam, a 3D model of the memorial and a photo exhibition depicting Kalam’s life at that time.