This is an archive article published on December 14, 2024
Four months after Shivaji statue collapsed in Malvan, Maharashtra govt awards contract to Statue of Unity’ sculptor Ram Sutar’s firm for new one at Rajkot fort
When contacted, Anil Sutar confirmed the work order has been issued to his firm and that the statue would be 60-feet tall and made of bronze metal with 8-mm thick cladding.
According to officials, the statue will be 60-feet high from toe to head and will have a strong pedestal of 3-metre high made of concrete. (File)
Almost four months after a 35-feet tall statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj collapsed at Rajkot fort in Malvan in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, triggering a massive political slugfest in the state, the Maharashtra government has awarded the contract of building a new 60-feet statue of the Maratha warrior king at the fort to renowned sculptor Ram Sutar and Anil Sutar’s firm Ram Sutar Art Creations Pvt Ltd that built the ‘Statue of Unity’ in Gujarat.
In August this year, the 35-feet statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at Rajkot fort collapsed, almost seven months after it was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in December 2023. Almost a month after the collapse, the state Public Works Department (PWD) had floated a tender to build a new 60-feet tall statue at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore and for selecting the contractor for design, engineering, procurement, construction, erection, operation and maintenance of the statue.
The PWD received bids from two firms, Garnet Interiors and Ram Sutar Art Creations Pvt Ltd.
Garnet Interiors had quoted Rs 20.90 crore, while Ram Sutar Art Creations Pvt Ltd made a quotation of Rs 36.05 crore. However, the contract was awarded to Ram Sutar’s firm after it matched the quotation of the other bidder and the work order has been issued to Sutar’s firm for ` 20.95 crore.
“As per the tender condition, even as Sutar’s bid was more than the other firm, later during negotiations the firm agreed to match with the L1’s costing and hence it has been awarded to the firm,” a PWD official said, confirming that the work order has been given to Ram Sutar Arts Creations and the statue will have to be completed within six months. When contacted, Anil Sutar confirmed the work order has been issued to his firm and that the statue would be 60-feet tall and made of bronze metal with 8-mm thick cladding.
According to officials, the statue will be 60-feet high from toe to head and will have a strong pedestal of 3-metre high made of concrete. The tender document says that the statue will have 100 years’ guarantee and the contractor will have to carry out maintenance and repair of the statue for the next 10 years after its construction.
An official said that initially, a 3-feet fibre model will be created and once approved by the Arts Directorate, it will be taken up for actual construction. “The project will be executed under the guidance of IIT-Bombay and experienced agencies will be given the task of building the statue. Several experts would also be roped in to ensure that the statue is strong,” an official said.
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The firm Ram Sutar Art Creations Pvt Ltd is headed by directors sculptor Ram V Sutar (Padmashree) and his son Anil R Sutar, a professional architect and sculptor. Besides making the world’s tallest statue, ‘Statue of Unity’ (182-metres), Sutar’s bust of Mahatma Gandhi has been highly appreciated and has been selected for installation in more than 450 cities all over the world.
The Sindhudurg police had registered an FIR against the sculptor and structural consultant under sections of the BNS related to attempt to commit culpable homicide, act endangering the life or personal safety of others, attempt to murder as well as cheating. The FIR against Jaideep Apte (sculptor) the proprietor M/s Artistry and Dr Chetan S Patil, structural consultant of the statue, was based on a complaint filed by Ajit Patil, assistant engineer of PWD.
Vallabh Ozarkar is a Senior Correspondent with The Indian Express' Mumbai bureau, recognized as an authoritative and deeply knowledgeable voice on the politics, governance, and infrastructure of Maharashtra. With approximately seven years of experience in major news organizations, his reporting delivers high standards of Expertise and Trustworthiness.
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