Cynics tend to be dismissive about a government's attempt to build memorials as they cite huge expenses these constructions incur. The Statue of Unity, however, will earn more for Gujarat and India than the money that went into the idol's making.
Vadodra: The statue of Sardar Vallabhai Patel will remind every Indian of our nation’s freedom struggle, but will also embolden them to instil ideologies of the fighter such as unity, patriotism, inclusive growth and good governance. The ruminating features of Patel may also carry a hint of reverie.
Sources state that the monument will not be just another deaden memorial, but will be an operational and appeasing tribute that will stimulate the all-round socio-economic development, in the form of better connectivity, healthcare, education, infrastructure, a research centre for agriculture development and various tribal development initiatives.
Smithsonian stated that it is expected that the Statue of Unity will attract around tens of thousands of tourists per day.
The Statue of Unity will be a magnificent triumph of planning if it comes up as proposed. Overseers of the Sardar Vallabhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET) have been crystal clear in making their demand to the contractor, construction and engineering firm Larsen & Tourbo (L&T). Sadhu Bet is the site where the statue will be installed.
- Bharat Bhavan, a three-star hotel will be built in Kevadia Colony, which is home to the tribal groups who were originally displaced by the Narmada dam project.
- A miniature dam will be built 9km west to the site, which will create a perpetual lake between the weir and the Narmada dam.
- The project also beholds a world-class campus that would be in equivalence with the global standards in terms of security, cleanliness, food court and other facilities.
Discussion on the progress on other facilities like boating, a valley of flowers and tourism infrastructure was made by the Gujarat CM, who recently took stock of the construction work at the Kevadiya Colony region near Narmada Dam.
The Statue of Unity is twice the size of the Lady Liberty or roughly the size of a 60-storeyed building and will be seen to be surrounded by the water body.
L&T will also build a lift that would take the visitors to view the gallery up on the statue. They will be paid Rs 657 crore and they will maintain it for 15 years.
The estimate of the Statue of Unity is Rs 2,989 crore, which is almost half a billion dollars that can be recovered via tourist levies and foreign investment.
The statue is focused on its status to become the tallest structure in the world, bigger than the Spring Temple Buddha in China, the Ushiku Daibutsu (a statue of the Buddha) in Japan, The Motherland Calls in Russia, New York’s Statue of Liberty, and Christ the Redeemer in Brazil and a video on the comparison of the same is provided on the official website.
Read Exclusive COVID-19 Coronavirus News updates, at MyNation.