The Maharashtra government has already spent Rs 15 crore on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Memorial that it plans to build off the coast of Mumbai, a Right to Information query showed, according to the Hindustan Times.
While the project has yet to take off, the state has paid Rs 10 crore to EGIS India Construction to make a project report and another Rs 5 crore to make arrangements for the memorial’s foundation ceremony, which was held in December 2016. The information was sought by RTI activist Anil Galgali, the report said.
The construction of the memorial will cost the state Rs 3,826 crore – the price quoted by the lowest bidder Larsen and Toubro. The project cost has risen more than 35 times since it was first conceived 12 years ago. In 2004, the budget was Rs 100 crore; it rose to Rs 700 crore in 2009, Rs 1,400 crore in 2013 and Rs 3,600 crore in 2016.
Earlier in November, the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority gave the project the required environmental clearances. Construction will begin in January 2018 and is expected to be completed by 2021.
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