Chennai: Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take steps to issue a commemorative coin and special postal stamp to mark the birth centenary celebrations of AIADMK founder and former Chief Minister M G Ramachandran.

In separate letters to the Prime Minister, copies of which were released to the media by the State government and AIADMK headquarters respectively, they recalled the services rendered by MGR and said the Centre should issue a stamp and coin to his memory.

Panneerselvam said it would be a fitting tribute to a great leader and an inspiring icon who was eternally embedded in the hearts of the people of Tamil Nadu, to issue a commemorative coin and a special postal stamp. This would be welcomed and greatly appreciated by all sections of people in Tamil Nadu, elsewhere in the country and across the globe, he added.

Panneerselvam said he has directed the Chief Secretary to immediately send the requisite details as per the Union government’s guidelines for issue of commemorative coins and special postal stamps.

Sasikala said though MGR had initiated many schemes during his tenure, the nutritious noon meal scheme was a spectacular success, which fed lakhs of school children. This scheme though touted as impossible to implement in view of its vast scope, MGR carried it out and served hot, freshly cooked food to millions of hungry children, wiping out hunger and improving attendance in schools, she said. She said the former Chief Minister also introduced women’s special buses, free electricity to farmers and hut dwellers, ensured smooth running of public distribution system and other projects.