A statue of former Odisha Chief Minister Biju Patnaik made in Vijayawada will be installed at the office of Belpahar municipality in Jharsuguda district – 350 km from Bhubaneswar. It is likely to be unveiled by Biju Patnaik’s son Naveen Patnaik, Chief Minister of Odisha, next month. The municipal council members have decided to install the statue to celebrate the party’s fourth consecutive victory during the recently-held elections.
The twelve-and-a-half feet height bronze statue was carved by an eight-member team led by the city-based sculptor B. Sivavara Prasad in a month. “It’s a tallest statue of Biju Patnaik in Odisha,” claims Mr. Prasad. Apart from Biju Patnaik’s statue, the team of sculptors has also made a bronze bust of former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. The statue of Biju Patnaik will be installed in the office while that of Shastri in the library, says Mr. Prasad.
On receiving information that Belpahar municipality is planning to install statues, Mr. Prasad approached the municipal officials, who refused to place an order stating that he is a non-local. Even the local sculptors took a strong objection. “We made a prototype and showed to authorities. They appreciated our work and gave an order asking us to complete the work within a month,” he explains.
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As promised, Mr. Prasad and his team completed the task within stipulated time and handed over the two statues on Thursday. “We made them at a cost of Rs.20 lakh,” he says, adding that they charged less price when compared to other sculptors. Officials from Belpahar municipality called Mr. Prasad and lauded the efforts taken up to make the busts.
Biju Patnaik was the Chief Minister of Odisha for two terms. He was also elected for Lok Sabha in 1977 and re-elected in early and mid 80s, and again in 1996. He was in the forefront for developing an aviation centre, highways, ports and industries in the State.