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In a major update on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue collapse incident in Sindhudurg, it has come to light that the local unit of the Public Works Department (PWD) had sent out a clear warning on August 20 that the nuts and bolts of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue were rusting.
The office had also clearly said that local residents had expressed unhappiness and that the Indian Navy had no expertise in getting a statue or erecting a pedestal.
The document also mentions that during a repair of the statue done recently, nuts and bolts were used and they are rusting because of the rains. The tourists, local residents and gram panchayat members had also highlighted the statue's condition, the PWD document states.
It also says that the sculptor Jaydeep Apte who conducted the repair works, should be ordered to find a permanent solution on an immediate basis.
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The work order for making the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue was given on September 8, 2023, and it was unveiled on December 4, 2023. The Navy wanted the statue to be unveiled by PM Narendra Modi on Navy Day at Rajkot Fort in Sindhudurg district.
Had one of the authorities acted on the tip-off by the assistant engineer of the Malvan division of PWD, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue would not have fallen. This has caused huge embarrassment to the Mahayuti government and BJP-led central government.
The Indian Navy which erected the statue and also the pedestal has sent its team to Malvan in Sindhudurg to investigate.
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