Ambedkar memorial cost escalated to Rs 265 cr: Minister Nagarjuna

Vijayawada (NTR District): Minister for Social Welfare and Chairman of Ambedkar Statue Committee Merugu Nagarjuna said that the cost of the 125 ft Ambedkar statue has gone up from Rs 100 crore to Rs 265 crore.

While reviewing the progress of the works of Ambedkar memorial at Swaraj Maidan here on Tuesday, Nagarjuna said that it had been estimated earlier that it would cost Rs 100 crore to complete the Ambedkar Swaraj Maidan project including 125 ft statue of Ambedkar. However, the cost of the project had escalated to Rs 265 crore and by the end of the project, the cost may go up further, he added.

Whatever be the cost of the project, it would be completed in time as per the assurance given by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Minister said.

He said that the works were divided into various stages to complete and to inaugurate the project on April 14, 2023. Referring to the recent visit to Haryana to inspect the progress of the statue making, the Minister said the CM has been closely following the progress of the project work.

Social welfare department director Kati Harshavardhan, APIIC engineer in chief Srinivas Prasad, KPC project director Vasudeva Rao, project managers Javed and Krishna Mohan and others have accompanied Minister Nagarjuna.