Nagpur: The uproar over the reduction in height of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in the Arabian Sea, which was accorded by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) in its final environmental clearance (EC) led to adjournment twice in the Assembly on Friday.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis accepted the demand to hold a meeting of group leaders to address all the concerns.
“The original design had the component of 20% pedestal and 80% statue, but considering the wind oscillations and other issues, the consultant has changed the design to 40% pedestal and 60% statue. I am ready to hold a meeting of group leaders and if there are any suggestions, we will incorporate them,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
The Hindu on Thursday had reported that the ministry had given the EC to the project, but the height of the statue had been reduced from 160 metres to 126 metres. Overall height of the monument has gone up from 190 metres to 210 metres, thanks to an increase in pedestal height from 30 metres to 84 metres.
Earlier in the day, Leader of Opposition Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil moved an adjournment motion demanding a discussion.
“It is clear that all the claims made by the government, especially the CM, have been proven wrong. The government must explain the reasons in the House,” Mr. Vikhe-Patil said.
Nationalist Congress Party MLA Jayant Patil said the only reason that the height has been reduced is because the BJP does not want this statue to be taller than that of Sardar Patel’s in Gujarat.
“The original design prepared by the committee I headed had kept the height at 190 metres. It was designed considering all possible wind patterns and waves. The government must explain the reasons for changes in the design,” Mr. Patil said.
The Shiv Sena too objected to the change. “The final clearance given to the project on June 15 clearly states the height of the statue has been reduced to 126 metres from 160 metres. The government has come to power in the name of Shivaji Maharaj and there should not be any reason to reduce the height,” Sena MLA Pratap Sarnaik said.
While BJP MLA Ashish Shelar objected to Mr. Patil’s comparison of the Shivaji statue to Sardar Patel’s, Speaker Haribhau Bagde said Mr. Fadnavis will make a statement. Amidst sloganeering, the House was adjourned for 10 minutes and later for 30 minutes.
