Maharashtra to spend ₹326 crore more on Ambedkar memorial

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which recently gave a nod to raise the height of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue for the memorial at Indu Mills in

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, which recently gave a nod to raise the height of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s statue for the memorial at Indu Mills in Mumbai, also plans to spend ₹326 crore more on it. The total cost of the project, being implemented by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), now stands at ₹1,089.95 crore, a significant rise from its previous cost of ₹763.05 crore, approved in January 2018.

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In a meeting held earlier this week, MMRDA approved the revised cost. It also gave a post-facto approval for its ₹15,819-crore budget for 2020-21, officials confirmed.

In January 2020, the Maharashtra cabinet gave its nod to raise the height of the statue to 350ft from 250ft, with a 100ft pedestal. The total height of the structure, to be made in bronze, will now be 450ft. The project cost has also escalated owing to delayed implementation and changes in plan. The estimated cost of the statue was earlier ₹152.38 crore, which has now increased to ₹409.80 crore. The cost of the pedestal has also increased to ₹236 crore from ₹222 crore. Another ₹300 crore is expected to be spent on other works, which include a library, a replica of the historic Chavdar pond in Raigad, numerous viewing points and a parking lot.

A senior official from MMRDA said the cost can vary, after a detailed design is prepared. The authority is in the process of getting various permissions, including coastal regulatory zone, height clearance, fire brigade and environment approval for the project. The groundbreaking for the project was done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2015, but five years later, the work is still to pick up pace. The project is now expected to be completed by April 2022.

On Tuesday, the authority gave a post-facto approval to its 2020-21 budget of ₹15,819 crore, of which ₹14,741.50 crore is expected to be spent on major Metro projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The authority is implementing a master plan of 337-km of Metro network in MMR. Another ₹52.95 crore is expected to be spent on the Mumbai Urban Development Project (MUDP). It is also expected to spend around ₹54.70 crore on various studies and surveys.

A senior MMRDA official said, “The budget is in effect from April 1 every year. This year, owing to the lockdown, the meeting was postponed. Hence, a post-facto nod was granted on Tuesday.”