Chennai, Aug 16 (IANS): The Tamil Nadu government will ensure that the Central Institute of Classical Tamil remains an autonomous institution, the state Assembly was informed on Monday.

Responding to a question from DMK member N. Eramakrishnan as to whether the Central government was trying to remove the autonomous status of the institute, Official Languages Minister Thangam Thenarasu said that Chief Minister M.K.Stalin is firm that the it would remain as an autonomous body and it will never be allowed to be shifted out of Chennai.

Eramakrishnan said that Tamil was one of the few classical languages and that it was then Chief Minister and DMK patriarch, M. Karunanidhi who had established the institute in Chennai.

Thenarasu also said that the new building for the institute will be inaugurated by the Chief Minister at Permabakkam near Chennai, but the dates for this are yet to be finalised.

The minister also said that there was no need to worry about the library attached to the institution and it would remain a part of the institution in the new building of the institute.