In the wake of collapse of the Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg, the Maharashtra government has issued a tender for the construction of a new 60-foot-tall statue there, nearly twice the size of the previous one.
According to officials, the statue will be built at a cost of Rs 20 crore and the government has set a six-month timeframe for the completion of the work.
A tender has been issued for the construction of a new statue and its height will be 60 feet, an official said. “The total cost will now be Rs 20 crore, including its engineering, installation and maintenance. The government has given six months to complete the work. The height of the statue will be 60 feet,” the official added.
A 35-foot-tall statue of the 17th century Maratha empire founder, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil of Sindhudurg district on December 4 (Navy Day) last year, collapsed on August 26 amid strong winds. The statue’s sculptor, Jaydeep Apte, was later arrested.
The government has faced flak as the opposition parties alleged the decision to install the statue in Sindhudurg was taken haphazardly, which resulted in poor quality of work. The public works department (PWD) had flagged concerns over rust gathering on the statue and suggested permanent measures in a letter sent to a naval official only six days before the structure collapsed.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had said the statue was designed and constructed by the Indian Navy. He claimed winds were blowing at 45 kmph when the statue collapsed.
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