State can afford Shivaji memorial: Bombay High Court

Mumbai: A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay high court against the state government’s decision to construct the 192-metre high Chhatrapati Shivaji memorial project in the middle of the Arabian Sea at a cost of approximately Rs 3,600 crore.

The PIL filed by Mohan Bhide, a chartered accountant and a professor of city-based Kapasi-Bhide classes wants the state to stop carrying out any work or spend money till the high court decides the matter. The petition was mentioned before a division bench of Chief Justice Manjulla Chellur and Justice Girish Naik on Thursday.

Advocate Ketan Parikh who was representing the petitioner Mr Bhide told the court that the project of constructing a statue in the middle of the Arabian Sea is a political stunt. The petition stated that the state is bogged down by debt running into crores of rupees. Also there are major issues like drought, unemployment, malnutrition, load-shedding, construction of super specialty hospitals in many districts, construction of dam and schools that need priority than constructing a statute in the middle of the sea. The petitioner called this project as an illogical and uncalled for expenses.

Mr Bhide’s petition further stated that the public at large is not concern with building of such memorials. “The public at large is expecting the state to provide better standard of living and better public amenities which is the priority of the day,” the petition stated. The petition raised a question that if an illiterate man can manage his priorities while spending money than why not our so-called literate administrator?  

While hearing the matter the high court asked the petitioner, “Have you seen the statues at Kanyakumari and the one at Hussain Sagar Lake, Hyderabad? If those state governments can afford it, we are sure the Maharashtra government is richer and they can also afford it”.

The petitioner stated that Shivaji Maharaj had constructed 370 forts in his lifetime but after 70 years of independence no government has bothered to take care of them. Most of these forts are in a dilapidated condition.