Mumbai: Nearly a month after the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapsed in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg, the state government decided to construct a new statue of the 17th century Maratha empire founder in the district, which will be twice the size of the previous one.
A huge political controversy erupted last month after 35-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed on August 26 amid strong winds. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had unveiled the statue at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil of Sindhudurg district on December 4 (Navy Day) last year. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had said the statue was designed and constructed by the Indian Navy.
Sindhudurg to get new Shivaji Maharaj statue
The Maharashtra government that came under sharp criticism over the incident has issued a tender for the construction of a new statue there. The proposed statue that will come up at Rajkot fort will now be 60-foot-tall, twice the size of the previous one, according to officials. The statue will be constructed at a cost of Rs 20 crore and is expected to be completed within six months.
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A tender has been issued for the construction of a new statue and its height would be 60 feet. The total cost would 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 would be 60 feet,” a PWD official was quoted as saying by PTI.
Row over Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse
The collapse of the previous statue had evoked sharp reactions from the Opposition that the decision to install the statue in Sindhudurg was taken haphazardly.
Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) also said that steel used in the statue had started catching rust. It had also said that it flagged the issue with a Naval official just six days before the structure collapsed and also suggested permanent measures. An FIR was registered against the statue’s sculptor, Jaydeep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil and duo was arrested.
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