<p>In the middle of October 2010, the then Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi had unvelived to the world the proposed tallest statute in the world. With barely two years left for the state Assembly elections then, the message wasn’t lost on anyone. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The Sardar Patel’s statue to come up right in the middle of the Narmada river, had both symbolic as well as political message loaded. Many experts belive it was a move to usurp the legacy of the Iron Man of India from the Congress and given the critical nature of the 2012 elections, the message was patently political.<br /><br />Proposed to be 182 metres high, the iconic statue, Modi announced, would remind the nation and the world the contribution of the Sardar in the “spirit if nationalism and the construction of a strong India.” Four years on, the nitty gritties of the projet have been worked out. <br /><br />The total project cost is estimated to be Rs 2063 crore, and will be completed in another four years’ time. The first few years were used to carry out feasibility studies. <br /><br />It is to be built at the Sadhu-Bet Island, approximately 3.5 km south of Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia in the Narmada district. As per the proposal, this memorial site, will have a number of edu-tainment components between the Satpuda and Vindhyachal ranges rising weir of the Narmada River, the Sardar Sarovar Dam and the town of Kevadia. <br /><br />The proposal is to see to it that the monument will be set up with a picturesque backdrop. Its unique location will prove to be beneficial for eco-tourism and regional development. The Statue of Unity will be made of rich bronze and there are proposals of it having the world’s fastest elevators to keep the visitor’s tour engaging. Access to the statue is via boat ride of 3.5 km. <br /><br /> An elaborate gallery for a massive panoramic view of the world’s largest irrigation dam, the river and the hilly terrain, and an illustrious sight of Arabian Sea. A state-of-the-art underwater aquarium would also be created near the statue.<br /><br />“The government of Gujarat under Modi had handed over the onus of constuctructing the Statue of Unity to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET), chaired by the chief minister himself. SVPRET will undertake all R&D and social activities to benefit the masses in the areas of education, infrastructure, tribal welfare, health and other socio-economic interests. SVPRET has appointed a consortium. <br /><br />Many of the consortium members have been involved in the making of some of the world’s tallest structures,” said a senior official of the Sardar Sarovar Nigam Limited (SSNL).<br /><br />SSNNL management team and its engineers have built the world’s third largest dam and an irrigation system, which is among the top five irrigation networks of the world. While the state government in its budget has sanctioned an amount of Rs 200 crore for the project, the Central government has sanctioned another Rs 300 crore. And L&T has already secured the tender for starting work in the first phase.<br /><br />Tribute or gimmick?<br /><br />While Modi treated it as a tribute to the Iron Man of India, his opponents called it a mere political gimmick with opposition alleging that he wanted to encash on Sardar legacy for his national ambitions. Modi even announced that the statue would be a symbolism where every farmer from the state would find their contribution toward it. He had urged farmers to donate their used iron items for the construction of the statue.<br /><br />But the Congress has its reservations about the PM’s pet project. “The existing monuments of the Sardar are not maintained in this state, and this statue despite all the publicity that it has managed to garner there is no guarantee that the same interest will be shown to maintain the statue,’’ said former MP and president of the Sardar Patel Trust Dinsha Patel.<br /><br />He said that the school in which Sardar studied is in a state of neglect, and so are other memoirs of the Sardar. So a new statue will only add to the existing stage of neglect. Patel said that the trust has been seeking the help of the state government to maintain some of Sardar’s other statues in the state, and it was with great difficulty that they could manage to draw the attention of the state government for maintenance of the Sardar Patel museum in Ahmedabad. <br /><br />So while the political tussle over the stake of claim to Sardar continues, common people and citizens think it is a matter of pride that Gujarat will have the largest statue in the world.Pratiksha Jadeja a student from the Sardar Patel University at Vallabh Vidyanagar said, “If studying in an university which is named after him has so much of importance, then the largest statue of his can be of so much importance and recognition.” <br /><br />The students of SPU have taken pride with this announcement and say whatever be the political mileage for any party but at least the largest statue in this world would be of the Sardar -- the Iron Man of Gujarat. Another student of the university said that the government should also ensure that they provide good reading material for visitors who come to see the statue.<br /><br />SSNL officials point out that it was a Herculean task and for showcasing it to the world, the effort behind it too had to be equally committed. “Though the best in the field would be hired for constructing the statue, it would pose as a challenge for those who would ultimately be entrusted with the job of maintenance,” he said</p>
<p>In the middle of October 2010, the then Gujarat chief minister, Narendra Modi had unvelived to the world the proposed tallest statute in the world. With barely two years left for the state Assembly elections then, the message wasn’t lost on anyone. <br /><br /></p>.<p>The Sardar Patel’s statue to come up right in the middle of the Narmada river, had both symbolic as well as political message loaded. Many experts belive it was a move to usurp the legacy of the Iron Man of India from the Congress and given the critical nature of the 2012 elections, the message was patently political.<br /><br />Proposed to be 182 metres high, the iconic statue, Modi announced, would remind the nation and the world the contribution of the Sardar in the “spirit if nationalism and the construction of a strong India.” Four years on, the nitty gritties of the projet have been worked out. <br /><br />The total project cost is estimated to be Rs 2063 crore, and will be completed in another four years’ time. The first few years were used to carry out feasibility studies. <br /><br />It is to be built at the Sadhu-Bet Island, approximately 3.5 km south of Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia in the Narmada district. As per the proposal, this memorial site, will have a number of edu-tainment components between the Satpuda and Vindhyachal ranges rising weir of the Narmada River, the Sardar Sarovar Dam and the town of Kevadia. <br /><br />The proposal is to see to it that the monument will be set up with a picturesque backdrop. Its unique location will prove to be beneficial for eco-tourism and regional development. The Statue of Unity will be made of rich bronze and there are proposals of it having the world’s fastest elevators to keep the visitor’s tour engaging. Access to the statue is via boat ride of 3.5 km. <br /><br /> An elaborate gallery for a massive panoramic view of the world’s largest irrigation dam, the river and the hilly terrain, and an illustrious sight of Arabian Sea. A state-of-the-art underwater aquarium would also be created near the statue.<br /><br />“The government of Gujarat under Modi had handed over the onus of constuctructing the Statue of Unity to the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust (SVPRET), chaired by the chief minister himself. SVPRET will undertake all R&D and social activities to benefit the masses in the areas of education, infrastructure, tribal welfare, health and other socio-economic interests. SVPRET has appointed a consortium. <br /><br />Many of the consortium members have been involved in the making of some of the world’s tallest structures,” said a senior official of the Sardar Sarovar Nigam Limited (SSNL).<br /><br />SSNNL management team and its engineers have built the world’s third largest dam and an irrigation system, which is among the top five irrigation networks of the world. While the state government in its budget has sanctioned an amount of Rs 200 crore for the project, the Central government has sanctioned another Rs 300 crore. And L&T has already secured the tender for starting work in the first phase.<br /><br />Tribute or gimmick?<br /><br />While Modi treated it as a tribute to the Iron Man of India, his opponents called it a mere political gimmick with opposition alleging that he wanted to encash on Sardar legacy for his national ambitions. Modi even announced that the statue would be a symbolism where every farmer from the state would find their contribution toward it. He had urged farmers to donate their used iron items for the construction of the statue.<br /><br />But the Congress has its reservations about the PM’s pet project. “The existing monuments of the Sardar are not maintained in this state, and this statue despite all the publicity that it has managed to garner there is no guarantee that the same interest will be shown to maintain the statue,’’ said former MP and president of the Sardar Patel Trust Dinsha Patel.<br /><br />He said that the school in which Sardar studied is in a state of neglect, and so are other memoirs of the Sardar. So a new statue will only add to the existing stage of neglect. Patel said that the trust has been seeking the help of the state government to maintain some of Sardar’s other statues in the state, and it was with great difficulty that they could manage to draw the attention of the state government for maintenance of the Sardar Patel museum in Ahmedabad. <br /><br />So while the political tussle over the stake of claim to Sardar continues, common people and citizens think it is a matter of pride that Gujarat will have the largest statue in the world.Pratiksha Jadeja a student from the Sardar Patel University at Vallabh Vidyanagar said, “If studying in an university which is named after him has so much of importance, then the largest statue of his can be of so much importance and recognition.” <br /><br />The students of SPU have taken pride with this announcement and say whatever be the political mileage for any party but at least the largest statue in this world would be of the Sardar -- the Iron Man of Gujarat. Another student of the university said that the government should also ensure that they provide good reading material for visitors who come to see the statue.<br /><br />SSNL officials point out that it was a Herculean task and for showcasing it to the world, the effort behind it too had to be equally committed. “Though the best in the field would be hired for constructing the statue, it would pose as a challenge for those who would ultimately be entrusted with the job of maintenance,” he said</p>
