UP to seek Gujarat’s support for building massive Ram statue in Ayodhya

The Uttar Pradesh government will sign an agreement with the Gujarat government seeking technical support for the construction of a massive statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.

“We will take inspiration from the Gujarat model under which Sardar Patel statue was built. The area around the statue will have a digital museum, interpretation centre,library, parking, food plaza, landscaping etc.,” said government spokesperson Shrikant Sharma.

A cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday night gave its approval for signing an MOU for guidance and support on technical proposal, design etc, an official spokesman said on Sunday.

Additional Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary Tourism Avinish Awasthi said it will take a minimum of three years to build the statue, which will be financed through corporate social responsibility fund.

“It has been decided that while the government will develop the infrastructure and facilities surrounding the site, CSR funds or donations will be used for the construction of the statue,” Awasthi said.

Chief minister-headed trust is expected to oversee the project. A high-powered committee will probably be set up for smooth conduct of the construction work.

The Gujarat government had unveiled the 182 m high statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in his honor near the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Gujarat’s Narmada district, known as the Statue of Unity, the tallest in the world, in October 2018.