Over 95% of the construction work has been completed on the 125-foot-statue of B.R. Ambedkar, at the Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Park, and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will soon dedicate the structure to the country, Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Audimulapu Suresh said.
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The Minister, along with Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) Commissioner Swapnil Dinkar Pundkar, on July 25 (Tuesday) reviewed the ongoing works on the statue coming up at Swaraj Maidan in the city.
“At present, work is under way on the index finger, the most important part of the statue,” Mr. Suresh said, adding that over 500 men are working at the site. Nearly 518 metric tonnes of steel and bronze have gone into the making of the statue, being constructed at a cost of ₹400 crore, the Minister said.
A modern air-conditioned theatre, museum and library are coming up at the park which will showcase significant events of Ambedkar’s life. “We will ensure all facilities are in place as lakhs of tourists from not only the State but from across the country are expected to visit the statue after its completion,” the Minister said.
Mr. Suresh said the Chief Minister is following in the footsteps of B.R. Ambedkar by introducing many welfare schemes for the downtrodden sections.