Amid the race of Bhoomi poojans, Shiv Smarak Samiti (SSS) President Vinayak Mete will lay the foundation stone of Chhatrapati Shivaji Memorial on December 20. A senior Public Works Department (PWD) official confirmed the same to Mumbai Live. This comes two months after the construction of Shivaji memorial has started and the preparation for the same has commenced.
Earlier in December 2016, Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the memorial in the Arabian Sea. Maharashtra government is spending ₹3600 crore for the construction of the Shivaji memorial and the contract has been given to Larsen & Toubro (L&T).
Earlier in October, a boat carrying 25 people including SSS members, government officials, and journalists was toppled while they were going for the Bhoomi poojan after the land-filling for the memorial started.
Unfortunately, SSS activist Siddhesh Pawar died in the accident. After the incident, Maharashtra Home Minister Deepak Kesarkar ordered a ‘fast-track’ inquiry into the matter.
Earlier on Sunday, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kalyan, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray laid the foundation stone of the long-awaited coastal road. However, no Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) corporator, MLA, and MP attended the event.
PM Modi visited Kalyan on Tuesday and will inaugurate several projects of the state government and Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).