Tamil Nadu government to get details of Pennycuick statue in United Kingdom

Tamil Nadu Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan on Monday, April 17, 2023 said the government would get details about the status of the statue of Col. John Pennycuick, who built the Mullaperiyar dam, in Camberley in the United Kingdom and inform the Assembly.  He was replying to Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the Leader of the Opposition, who said since ₹46 lakh due to Atlantus, the organisation that was installing the statue, was not paid, it had made a complaint to the London City Council. “There is a move to remove the statue and it has been covered with a black cloth,” he said.

Tamil Nadu Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan on Monday, April 17, 2023 said the government would get details about the status of the statue of Col. John Pennycuick, who built the Mullaperiyar dam, in Camberley in the United Kingdom and inform the Assembly. 

He was replying to Edappadi K. Palaniswami, the Leader of the Opposition, who said since ₹46 lakh is due to Atlantus, the organisation that was installing the statue, was not paid, it had made a complaint to the London City Council. “There is a move to remove the statue and it has been covered with a black cloth,” he said.

Mr. Palaniswami said the total cost of the project was ₹92 lakh. While the state government has paid ₹26 lakh, the family of Pennycuick paid ₹20 lakh. The rest has not been paid, added the AIADMK leader. 

The statue at Camberly was unveiled Minister for Cooperation, I. Periyasamy on Saturday unveiled the newly installed statue of Colonel John Pennycuick, in Camberley, United Kingdom. Pennycuick, who was instrumental in constructing the Mullaperiyar reservoir.

The bust-size statue was unveiled by Minister for of Rural Development, Panchayats and Panchayat Union I. Periyasamy on behalf of Tamil Nadu government, at the birthplace of the British Army Engineer on September 10, 2022, following an announcement made by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on January 15, 2022.

Notably, the events organised as part of the unveiling of the statue were cancelled as a mark of respect after the Queen of the United Kingdom, Elizabeth II who died on September 8.