Ambedkar Memorial cost escalates to Rs 285 cr: Minister Nagarjuna

Vijayawada: Minister for Social Welfare Merugu Nagarjuna said Dr BR Ambedkar Memorial will be completed at any cost within the stipulated time, i.e., by April 2023 and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will inaugurate the giant statue of Ambedkar in Vijayawada to mark the latter's birth anniversary.

Merugu Nagarjuna along with the officials inspected the memorial construction works at Swarajya Maidan in Vijayawada on Wednesday.

Later briefing the media, Nagarjuna said the Ambedkar Memorial works are continuing at a brisk pace. He said the project cost estimation increased from Rs 100 crore to Rs 285 crore. He said the Chief Minister has decided to go ahead and complete the works despite the increasing expenditure. He said the 125 feet tall statue is being constructed without any delay in Haryana. He alleged that the previous government has allocated site in the remote area in Amaravati for the Amaravati memorial. He said the YSRCP government is committed to fulfil its promise and would construct the memorial in the heart of Vijayawada and it will be ready by birth anniversary of Dr Ambedkar next year.

Social welfare department principal secretary R Jayalakshmi, NTR District Collector S Dilli Rao, social welfare department director K Harshavardhan, VMC Commissioner Swapnil Dinkar and other officials participated in the review meeting conducted by the Minister to discuss the progress of the project.