‘Dr Ambedkar Memorial work to start by April 14’

The construction of the memorial of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar at Indu Mill land, Dadar is likely to start after April 14 this year. The memorial has been a long-standing demand of Dr Ambedkar’s followers and the state government had agreed to it four years ago, but it got delayed because of issues related to land transfer from National Textile Corporation to the state government. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis has said in the legislative council that the work on the memorial would begin after April 14.

Raising the issue during the Question Hour on Tuesday, NCP’s Prakash Gajbhiye said even nearly six months after PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for the memorial, construction work was yet to start and land had not been transferred to the state government yet. In his reply, the CM said the state government has signed an MoU with the Centre, according to which it had received blanket permissions to start the work. “We have been given all the rights by the Centre. The land price that was pegged at Rs 3,200 crore during the last government’s tenure has been brought down to Rs 1,423 crore. Transferring the land is only a technical matter, which will happen soon,” Mr Fadnavis said.

The CM also said that leaders cutting across political parties would be invited for any future events related to the memorial. “We have been advised to start work at the site after April 14 (Ambedkar’s birth anniversary) because there will be a large congregation of people at the site then. That may hinder work,” he said.

The CM said that the cost of the plot would be generated through the transferable development rights option and added that the Centre was willing to contribute for the land. NCP’s Hemant Takle then asked if the state government had thought about the upkeep of the memorial. Mr Fadnavis, in his response, said MMRDA would initially be responsible for the memorial’s upkeep and an independent authority would be constituted for its maintenance.