The Maharashtra government has floated a tender for the construction of a new 60-foot-tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the Sindhudurg district, following the collapse of the previous structure. The new statue, nearly double the height of the original 35-foot monument, will be built at a cost of Rs 20 crore, with a six-month timeline for completion.
The previous statue, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot Fort in Malvan tehsil on December 4, 2022 (Navy Day), collapsed on August 26 due to strong winds. The statue’s sculptor, Jaydeep Apte, was later arrested.
The MVA partners Congress, Sharad Pawar’s NCP, and Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena criticised the Mahayuti government, accusing it of rushing the project and compromising the quality of work. The Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) had earlier raised concerns about rust on the statue and suggested permanent measures in a letter to a Naval official just six days before the collapse.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde responded to the criticism by stating that the statue had been designed and constructed by the Indian Navy. “Winds were blowing at 45 km per hour when the statue collapsed,” Shinde explained.
A PWD official confirmed that a tender has been issued for the new statue. “The total cost would now be Rs 20 crore, including its engineering, installation, and maintenance. The government has given six months to complete the work. The height of the statue would be 60 feet,” the official said.