On the occasion of Navy Day last year, a life-size statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was erected at Rajkot Fort in Malvan to honor his valor and overall work. There was a 15 feet high platform and a 28 feet high statue of Shiva. Over the past eight months, the statue has become a centre of attraction for tourists and Shiva lovers. However, it suddenly collapsed on Monday afternoon. A case has been registered against contractor Jaideep Apte and structural consultant Chetan Patil under various sections of the Indian Penal Code. The charges include criminal conspiracy, cheating and endangering public safety. NDTV has reported this.
The FIR was registered following a complaint by the Public Works Department. It has been claimed that the construction of the statue is of poor quality. Also, the nuts and bolts used in the structure were found to be rusted.
Local residents and tourists had earlier expressed concern over the statue's poor condition. No preventive action was taken on the warning given by the Assistant Engineer of the Public Works Department's Malvan Division on August 20. The Public Works Department said the rusted nuts and bolts posed a threat to the statue's stability, yet the warnings were ignored.
The steel used for the statue was corroded
The Public Works Department had informed the Navy officials that the statue had been damaged. Sindhudurg Guardian Minister Ravindra Chavan had also requested to take steps in this regard.
The Navy's responsibility
There was a debate all day about who built the statue. Claiming that the Public Works Department had erected the statue, Vaibhav Naik, an MLA from the Thackeray group, along with activists, went to the department's office in Malvan and vandalised it. However, the state government claimed that the responsibility for the statue was with the Navy. Guardian Minister Ravindra Chavan claimed that the Navy is responsible for the entire work and maintenance of the statue.
The collapse of the statue is unfortunate. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the state deity. The statue was designed and built by the Navy. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has assured that the statue will be restored in a grand and strong manner.
