Rajasthan cities to get around 100 statues of eminent figures soon

Around 100 swanky statues of renowned personalities are set to come up in different cities of Rajasthan.

According to Urban Development and Housing Minister Shrikhand Kriplani, a meeting will be called on December 28 to decide on the names of eminent figures whose statues can be installed in various cities of the state.

The statues to be installed will be of prominent personalities, leaders and philanthropists belonging to different communities who can stand as the hero for masses and inspire them in one way or the other, according to him.

Sources claimed that the expenses of installing these statues would be borne by the urban local bodies.

Amid the present conditions, when the local bodies were facing financial crunch, the decision to install such statues hardly made much sense, they added.

Kriplani has already directed 191 urban local bodies -- municipal corporations and councils -- to start working on getting the right names from different communities. A discussion would be held in the board meetings of local bodies to finalise the names, he said.

The proposal has drawn attention of many critics, who said this was yet another political move to cash in on the vote bank of influential families who had strong influence over their communities.

Some veteran politicians have also compared this gimmick of Rajasthan government to that of Mayawati's work when she brought up lot many parks and memorials in Noida to leave an imprint of her work among the people of Uttar Pradesh.

--IANS

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