Opposition slams govt for tweaking Shivaji memorial height, seeks clarification

Concept plan of the Shivaji Memorial in Arabian Sea.

Slamming the BJP-led state government for tweaking the design of the proposed Shivaji memorial by reducing the height of the equestrian statue while increasing the length of the warrior king’s sword, Opposition parties on Monday demanded that the government clarify its stand.

Referring to a report published in the Monday edition of The Indian Express about the Maharashtra government tweaking the design in a bid to reduce the cost of the project, NCP leader Dhananjay Munde said in the state Legislative Council, “The government plans to make the memorial the tallest statue in the world but it has reduced the height of Chhatrapati Shivaji. Why is this happening? Has it been done just to reduce the cost of the project? We must know the reason behind the move.”

The Maharashtra government’s new design sets the height of the warrior king’s statue at 7.5 metres shorter than originally proposed, although the sword he wields will be taller than in the original design.

Munde also accused the BJP of using the Chhatrapati Shivaji’s name during the Assembly polls to come to power. “It is not just an insult to Maharashtra but also to Chhatrapati Shivaji. We have no objection to the government’s plan of increasing the height of the sword. But, the original height of the statue should be retained and we want an assurance from the government on the same,” added Munde.

Congress MLC Bhai Jagtap supported Munde on the issue.

Documents obtained by The Indian Express under the Right to Information (RTI) show the state government had originally proposed a statue standing 121.2 metres tall, including the sculpture of the king on his horse together measuring 83.2 metres, and a 38-metre sword. The equestrian statue is to be cast in bronze on a pedestal, designed as a multi-storey structure, standing 88.8 metres tall. In total, the project height was 210 metres.

This year, as part of cost-reduction measures on the project, the height of the sculpture of the warrior king on his steed has been reduced to 75.7 metres and the length of the sword raised to 45.5 metres, maintaining the statue height of 121.2 metres. The original base length of the sculpture was also proportionally reduced to maintain the aesthetic view of the statue.

This has resulted in reduced anticipated use of bronze, tertiary steel elements and armature. Overall, these changes and a few others have led to a cost reduction of Rs 338.94 crore.