Statue of Unity foundation: Advani is surprise guest invitee to Modi event

Incidentally,the name missing from the invitation card for the grand event in the tribal district of Narmada is that of Cabinet minister for agriculture and water supply Babu Bokhiria,who has recently faced injunctions from the Gujarat High Court over encroachments.

Modi is expected to address a gathering of over 20,000 people at a school campus in Kevadia at 11 am,following which he will go to a spot on the bank of the Narmada river near Sadhu Tekri where he will perform the groundbreaking puja at an auspicious time of 12:39 pm. The site of the puja is around 6 kilometre from where he will address the public. October 31,the date of the ceremony,is celebrated as the 138th birth anniversary of India’s first home minister Sardar Patel.

The other invitees to the event — Nitin Patel,Anandi Patel,Saurabh Patel,Bhupendrasinh Chudasama and Ganpat Vasava — will also accompany him to the puja ceremony. Tribal MP Mansukh Vasava has been invited as a special guest. Modi will also inaugurate the work to build the Garudeshwar Weir which will ensure water around the Sadhu Bet where the Sardar Patel statue is expected to come up. This will support boating and other tourism-related activity.

Police said tight security arrangements had been made for the programme,but refused to divulge more details. “After the Patna incident,we have taken all precautionary measures. We are not in a position to talk about it in details,” Narmada SP Pravin Mall said.

Tribals living in 70 villages around the site of the statue have said they will go ahead with their protest on the same day of Modi’s programme at Kevadia,despite the government having “verbally” agreed to many of their demands. Villages opposing the construction of Garudeshwar Weir that submerges seven villages will hold fast in large numbers on October 31.

The Statue of Unity,to be constructed on Sadhu Bet,an isle situated 3.2 kilometre from the site of the Narmada dam,will be the tallest in the world,almost double the size of Statue of Liberty in New York. The first phase of the construction will cost Rs 2,063 crore and is expected to be completed in 42 months. Bids for the first phase of construction have already been invited. The statue will have steel framing,reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and bronze coating,involving 35,000 tonne cement,3,725 tonne steel and 1,500 tonne bronze.

Iron drive from Dec 15

Chief Minister Narendra Modi presided over a chintan shibir (brain-storming session) of all 119 BJP MLAs ,social organisations and NGOs at Mahatma Mandir in Ahmedabad on Wednesday in connection with the launch of iron pieces collection drive from December 15,the death anniversary of Sardar Patel.