Ambedkar memorial to be completed by Apr 14, 2020: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today announced that the memorial to Dalit icon B R Ambedkar, being built in the Indu Mill compound near Chaityabhoomi, would be completed by April 14, 2020.

"We are committed and working hard to build this grand memorial of Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar of international repute and visible amount of work would be done by 2019 and final completion on 14th April 2020." Fadnavis tweeted today.

He added that people would be able to view its splendour from the Bandra Worli Sea Link itself.

Fadnavis today saw a presentation of the plans and timeline of the construction of the memorial and directed those involved in the work to strictly adhere to them.

Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Rajkumar Badole and Minister of State for Social Justice, Dilip Kamble, were also present on the occasion.

The memorial is being built on a 12.5 acre plot at Dadar's Indu Mill, the bhoomipujan (foundation stone laying ceremony) of which was done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October, 2015.

It will include a 350 feet tall statue of Ambedkar, a library and a replica of the historic Chavdar pond in Raigad.

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the nodal agency executing the work, had earlier announced that construction firm Shapoorji Pallonji would be building the memorial.

It is expected to cost Rs 500 crore.