In recent developments, the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government plans to spend ₹326 crores more on the statue of Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, also known as Babasaheb Ambedkar. This comes after the MVA agreed to raise the height of the statue for the memorial at the Indu Mills in Mumbai.
The total cost of the project which is being pushed forward by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is now at ₹1,089.95 crores. This happens to be a significant rise from the earlier cost approved in January, which happened to be ₹763.05 crores. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar addressing a press conference earlier had stated that the height of the proposed statue will be raised to 350 feet, taking the collective height of the Ambedkar memorial, including the pedestal, to 450 feet. Pawar also added that the project will be completed in the next two years further assuring that there will be no dearth of funds.
The groundbreaking for this project was done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2015, but five years later, the work is still to pick up the pace. Although, the project is touted to be completed by April 2022. However, the decision had received criticism from its foundation from the people to the Bombay High Court. Bombay High Court back in January had criticized the decision of the government stating that the state has finances to spend on a statue but not for the treatment of the poor who do not have access to proper medical facilities. This was in reference to the plight of the twins in the Wadia Hospital in Parel, who suffered inconveniences due to the freezing of grants.
Meanwhile, Maharashtra reported 6,875 fresh cases of the coronavirus on Thursday, July 9, 2020. This took the overall tally of confirmed cases to 2,30,599, according to the state health department.
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