Gift to drought-hit Maharashtra: Rs 350 cr for Shivaji statue

Even as its tackling a looming drought and price rise, the Maharashtra government has announced Rs 350 crore for a statue of the Maratha warrior king Shivaji in the Arabian Sea off the Marine Drive.

The statue was on the manifesto of the Congress-NCP alliance. Now, with elections round the corner, the Chief Minister unveiled the design of the statue inside the state secretariat.

The statue is to be 309 feet high, higher than the statue of liberty. It will also have a museum dedicated to Shivaji.

The public will be able to access it from jetties and even a helipad. But the plan is yet to get environmental clearance.