Gujarat: Cost of Statue of Unity may touch Rs 3,000 crore

 The Times of India reports: GANDHINAGAR: Statue of Unity, expected to be the world’s tallest statue, will cost around Rs 3,000 crore. The statue being build in the state in the memory of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 31, to mark Patel’s birth anniversary.

According to the records of Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd, the Government of India and the Gujarat government have so far spent Rs 2,134 crore on its construction.
According to sources, the cost may touch Rs 2,400 crore in the next few days. The Gujarat government has given Rs 600 crore to the L&T company as its 15-year maintenance cost. So, the total project cost will be around Rs 3,000 crore, the sources added.


Senior officers of the state government handling the project said, “Till now Rs 2,131.45 crore has been spent on the Statue of Unity project. Of that, Rs 1,412.27 crore has been received as contribution from the Centre. The state government and several state PSUs and even private corporate entities have also donated for the project. After settling the total payment, the construction cost may reach around Rs 2,400 crore. Rs.600 crore will be given to L&T for the maintenance for the next 15 years.”

The Gujarat government has planned to develop the surrounding of the Statue of Unity as a tourism hub. A five-star hotel is also under construction along with several other amenities.
To promote the Statue of Unity as a major tourism destination in the coming days, a tiger park and a crocodile park will also be developed in a phased manner.

Source : timesofindia