Vijayawada: CM Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to unveil towering statue of Babasaheb

Vijayawada : The stage is set for the inauguration of the 125-foot tall statue of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Swaraj Maidan on Friday evening. Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy will formally inaugurate the statue and the Smriti Vanam complex from Indira Gandhi Municipal Corporation (IGMC) stadium. The premises would be open to the general public from Saturday.

Babasaheb Ambedkar statue and Smrithi Vanam project had cost the government about Rs 400 crore. According to officials, over 1.25 lakh people are expected to attend the Mahasabha programme, which will be followed by a laser show in the evening.

The Smriti Vanam project will have a ground floor along with two floors from the pedestal part besides a 2,000-capacity convention centre with spacious car and bus parking facility, it said.

The government proposes to hold a weeklong programme following the inauguration of the statue. Keeping in view the potential challenges, such as congestion and traffic issues, that may arise in the city on the day of the inauguration with thousands of people attending the event simultaneously, police have issued traffic diversions and have erected iron barricades to control the traffic flow. It appears that this would be a permanent arrangement.

It may be mentioned here that the decision of the government to convert the Swaraj Maidan which has special sentimental attachment to the people of Vijayawada as it was the biggest lung space available in the city and like the Exhibition Ground in Hyderabad. The maidan hosted several exhibitions and some of the historical public meetings in the past. The previous TDP government had decided and planned to install the statue of Ambedkar in a remote location at a cost of Rs 100 crore so that the PWD grounds would retain its importance as it is. But after YSRCP came to power, it decided to scrap the TDP proposal and install the statue at the Swaraj Maidan.