PCMC to clear Rs50 crore Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj statue work only after site visit

Pune: The Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) standing committee has decided to clear the Rs50 crore proposal for works related to the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj statue in Moshi only after members conduct a site inspection, following allegations of irregularities and inflated tender costs.A senior PCMC official informed that the civic body has already spent around Rs52 crore on the project, including Rs32 crore for the bronze statue and Rs20 crore on supporting infrastructure.At the standing committee meeting on Wednesday, Shiv Sena corporator and committee member Sulbha Ubale alleged irregularities in the civil and electrical works tenders for the project. She claimed the tenders were accepted at higher rates to allegedly favour a particular vendor."While tenders for several other works were accepted below the quoted amount, those related to this project were either at par with or above the quoted rates. I raised objections when the proposal came up for approval in the standing committee meeting on Wednesday, and another member supported it," Ubale told TOI.Sources in the civic body said BJP's Sandip Kaspate supported the demand, following which the standing committee chairman, Abhishek Barne, agreed that the proposal would be approved only after committee members visit the project site.Ubale said while the municipal corporation is already grappling with liabilities from previously announced projects and the newly elected civic body is exploring ways to boost revenue, awarding works for the statue project at higher rates would be unfair."We are not against the statue project, but the tender process should be fair and free from irregularities," she said.The project involves the construction of a 140-foot statue of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj in Moshi, which is being claimed as the tallest statue of the Maratha ruler in the world. The decision to defer approval of the work is being seen as a setback for the BJP, particularly for Bhosari MLA Mahesh Landge, who has been pursuing the project as one of his key initiatives started during the administrative rule.Earlier, questions were also raised about the quality of the statue after members of the NCP (SP) in the city released photographs of its parts before installation. The civic administration, however, had clarified that there were no quality issues and that the bronze statue was crafted by renowned sculptor Ram Sutar.A senior BJP office-bearer, requesting anonymity, said the project had not been stalled. "Only the approval for some work has been deferred to the next meeting, and it will be cleared soon," he said.A senior PCMC official said apart from the money already spent on the project, the additional Rs50 crore would be for various civil and electrical works, including beautification and other facilities within the statue premises."The proposal also includes an audio-visual presentation facility at the site. The project is set to be completed in Nov this year," he added.