Veda Nilayam, which was the residence of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa would soon replace its identity as a memorial, reports say.

According to the reports, the property would be acquired by the state government soon following which it would be converted into a memorial. It served as the residence of Jayalalithaa for over 40 years and the government decided to map it as a state property after her demise in 2016 with the view of making it a memorial of the former leader.

Chennai district collector Seethalakshmi has issued a declaration that the acquisition of the property is needed for a public purpose. The declaration was made by invoking Section 19(1) of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013, and Rule 16 of the government rules. 

According to the declaration, the acquisition has no question of relocation, resettlement, and rehabilitation as the project has no affected families. The reports stated that the government has been taking steps to get the declaration notified in the state government's gazette as there are no legal restrictions to complete the land acquisition process and it would take three months to acquire the property. 

Upon ascertaining the legal heirs, they can collect compensation from the authorities. In August 2017, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami has announced the decision of the government to convert Veda Nilayam as a memorial. However, three months before the announcement, in May 2017, Jayalalithaa's niece Deepa had claimed that the property belongs to her and her brother.

Veda Nilayam would become the second memorial in Chennai for a former Chief Minister and first being the memorial house for former Chief Minister Kamaraj which sits on T.Nagar. Jayalalithaa and her mother bought the property in Poes Garden, Chennai in 1967, and Veda Nilayam served as Jayalalithaa's residence until her demise.