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PMC panel approves 60-ft Shivaji Maharaj statue at Chandni Chowk on MP Mohol’s request
Until now, statues installed in the city were typically donated by organisations or individuals, with the PMC only constructing the base
Despite not having a policy to install statues using public funds, the Pune Municipal Corporation’s (PMC) estimates committee has approved a proposal to install a 60-foot-high statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the busy Chandni Chowk junction—marking a departure from earlier precedent.
The move comes following a request from Pune MP and Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol. The proposal mentions that it was on his instruction that the statue’s height was increased from 20 feet to 60 feet.
Until now, statues installed in the city were typically donated by organisations or individuals, with the PMC only constructing the base.
The proposed sanctioned statue will be the tallest of its kind in the city, and is estimated to cost ₹29 crore, significantly up from the earlier plan of a 20-foot statue costing ₹6 crore.
The proposed site for the statue is already close to two other major monuments dedicated to Shivaji Maharaj — one at the National Defence Academy (NDA) and another at Shiv Shrushti in Ambegaon, which has already received substantial financial assistance from the government and the PMC. There is also a statue of the Maratha warrior king installed at Kothrud, near Yashwantrao Chavan auditorium. An iconic equestrian statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji is also installed at Shri Shivaji Preparatory Military School in Shivajinagar.
Reacting to the decision, Congress city unit president Arvind Shinde criticised the move, and said, “The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to divert attention from real issues by building grand monuments.”
Mohol was unavailable for comment. Earlier this year, Mohol had proposed a re-development plan for the Sambhaji Maharaj memorial at Deccan using MP funds.
NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) city unit chief Prashant Jagtap said while it is commendable that a statue is being erected, concerns remain about the process and its execution. “We are worried about transparency. If the PMC is building such a large statue, it must ensure safety and proper execution,” he said.
Jagtap, a former Pune mayor, further remarked, “In my experience, PMC cannot directly erect statues due to procedural norms. Typically, a statue must be donated, and the civic body only handles installation and related work.”
A senior BJP leader speaking on request of anonymity, expressed discomfort with the scale of the statue. “Not all of us agree with placing the tallest statue at Chandni Chowk,” he said.
Civic activist Vijay Kumbhar slammed the decision, calling it a political distraction. “The Chandni Chowk redevelopment project itself has been a failure, increasing chaos instead of reducing it. Installing a statue there only adds to the confusion. The area already has two major memorials nearby—what is the need for a third?”
