SAIL steel to give Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's statue 'Made-in-India' look

Even as the debate continues over China’s connection in the record-breaking statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel being built in Gujarat, state-run Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) will give the project a "Made-in-India" look.

The pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come under the scanner with opposition parties taking a swipe after reports hogged the headlines that the statue would be having a tag of Made-in-China. The 182-metre long statue of Patel would be the world’s tallest and would be installed on Sadhu Bet near Sardar Sarovar dam.

The Gujarat government had earlier clarified that the scrap used for the project, which has been given the status of a national project, had been collected from the farmers. The steel required for the project would be supplied by state-run SAIL, which would ensure that the major share of raw materials would be indigenous.

"SAIL is the major supplier of steel in the project," a top SAIL official associated with the contract told Business Standard. L&T, the executing agency of the project, had placed an order with SAIL for the steel supply. The company had started executing the deal.

The official said that SAIL had till date supplied 3,356 tonnes of TMT bars. The supply had been through the Vadodara and Ahmedabad yards. SAIL’s flagship entity, Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), has a major contribution in the deal. The official said that out of the total quantity supplied, BSP had contributed 2,287 tonnes.

The estimated steel requirement for the project, also known as the Statue of Unity, is 32,000 tonnes, along with with reinforcement bars weighing roughly 18,000 tonnes. SAIL would be supplying the bars too. The official did not reveal the exact quantity of the order but said SAIL would have the major share.
 

The company would also be supplying steel to the Sardar Sarovar Dam.