Almost a month after the 35-metre statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj forbidding Rajkot in Sindhudurg collapsed, the Maharashtra Public Works Department on Tuesday floated a tender to build a new 60-metre statue of the Maratha warrior king at the same location. cost of Rs 20 crore.
According to PWD officials, the statue will be built in six months, once the contract is awarded.
The senior official said that the tender was submitted to select a contractor for design, engineering, procurement, construction, construction, operation and maintenance of the statue.
The tender document suggests that the statue should have a 100-year warranty, while the contractor will have to carry out maintenance and repair work for 10 years.
The official said that initially, a three-foot rope sculpture will be created after which permission will be given to the statue from the Art Department.
“The whole project will be done under the guidance of IIT-Bombay and experienced agencies will be given the task of building this image. Many other experts will be arrested to ensure the stability of the statue,” said the official.
The 35-metre statue of Shivaji Maharaj unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Rajkot fort in Malvan tehsil on Water Day (December 4) last year, collapsed on August 26.
The Sindhudurg police have registered an FIR against the sculptor and the building consultant under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for charges including attempted murder, attempted murder and cheating.
Sculptor Jaideep Apte, owner of an Art firm, and building consultant Dr Chetan S Patil were booked in the complaint filed by Ajit Patil, assistant engineer of PWD.
The complaint alleges poor construction quality, with rusted nuts and bolts found in the building during a PWD inspection on August 20.
It also revealed that the contractor was also notified and ordered to take drastic measures to stabilize the structure.
A joint technical committee, led by the Navy and consisting of state government representatives and technical experts, was formed to investigate the collapse of the statue.
Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, in a meeting at his official residence in Varsha after the statue collapsed, announced that the government will appoint a committee of civil engineers, experts, IIT alumni and Navy officials to analyze the reasons for the collapse of the statue. and decide to be accountable.
The Chief Minister had also directed the Public Works Department to form a new committee of senior sculptors, civil engineers, technicians, and naval officers to design and install a large and befitting statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.
He emphasized the need for vigilance to avoid similar incidents in the future.
The project, which was established and managed by the Indian Navy in collaboration with the state government, also received government funding.
CM Shinde also met Statue of Unity sculptor Anil Sutar and the state government may rope him in to help in the construction of the new statue.