Seven of 15 statues Maya rushed to unveil are not yet complete

Seven of the 15 memorial projects that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati hastily dedicated to the public late on...

Seven of the 15 memorial projects that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati hastily dedicated to the public late on Thursday evening apparently to beat a possible adverse order from the court on a PIL are incomplete.

On Friday,most of these projects were surrounded by scaffolding and work was still going on. Of two of these projects,only the foundation has been made. While the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) is the nodal agency for these undertakings,the UP Rajkiya Nirman Nigam (UPRNN) is constructing them.

After the inauguration on Thursday,UPRNN managing director C P Singh and LDA joint director S B Mishra were asked about the inauguration of the incomplete monuments,but both refused to comment.

The incomplete projects:

 Bhimrao Ambedkar Drishya Sthal: Its construction was started in the Ambedkar Memorial complex in Gomti Nagar only about one month ago. It is going to be a 28-metre-high pink stone pyramid,resting on 24 columns. No one at the site knows what the Rs 22-crore pyramid will contain. On Friday,the foundation and columns were still under construction. An engineer said it would take at least two months for the project to reach completion. Incidentally,the pyramid is coming up on part of the land that was added to the complex after the Bhimrao Ambedkar stadium was demolished last year.

 Samajik Parivartan Sangrahalay: Sources in the UPRNN said the Rs 500-crore project is for the construction of two giant stupas,which will have 16 statues of Dalit icons,including Mayawati. This project,too,is being built in the Ambedkar Memorial complex. Stone work on the domes is still on and contractors say it will take one month to finish.

 Bhimrao Ambedkar Samajik Parivartan Pratibimb Sthal: Another pink stone structure,this is also being constructed inside the Ambedkar Memorial complex. While its foundation has been laid,details of its design and cost could not be known. When the dedication ceremony was originally scheduled for July 3,the plan was to build a temporary structure at a cost of Rs 1 crore,but the work came to a halt yesterday.

 Samajik Parivartan Gallery: Yet another addition to Ambedkar Memorial,the project is worth Rs 80 crore and contains six life-size statues of Dalit leaders,Mayawati among them. Two gates are under construction while fixing of stones on the backdrop of the statues is yet to start.

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 Ambedkar Memorial Gate: The 63-feet-high entrance gate is being constructed at the cost of Rs 12 crore on Gandhi Setu on the Gomti river. Another gate,built only a few years ago,was demolished to make way for it. The gate is surrounded by scaffolding,while stone work on the dome and the walls is underway. Two small parks here are yet to be developed; four statues of the BSP symbol,the elephant,have not been installed either.

 Kanshi Ram Memorial: It is being constructed on 42 acres of land at VIP road and will cost the exchequer Rs 370 crore. It reportedly has the countrys largest dome,but it is still being covered with stone on the outside and bronze plates inside. Granite slabs are being fixed on the floor at the memorials entrance and landscaping work is still going on. Contractors say the memorial will take a month to complete.

 Buddha Vihar Shanti Upwan: It is also on VIP road,spread over a 6,000-sq metre area,and also comprises libraries,cottages,and a park. Construction of floors and fixing of stones on the ceiling is currently underway.