Ambedkar statue at Vijayawada to cost Rs 400 cr: AP Minister

Vijayawada: The construction of B R Ambedkar statue at PWD Grounds in Vijayawada, expected to be completed by July, may touch Rs 400 crore, said Andhra Pradesh Minister Merugu Nagarjuna on Tuesday.

The amount spent for the 125-feet tall statue has already reached Rs 380 crore from Rs 268 crore and the State government will not back off how much ever be the cost, the Minister for Social Welfare said.

"Unlike the previous TDP government which planned to build the statue in a nondescript place at Rs 100 crore, our government under Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has allotted a plot worth hundreds of crore of rupees," asserted Nagarjuna in a statement.

Besides the statue, the Minister said Rs 106 crore additional funds, including Rs 6 crore from the Municipal department, were allotted for more buildings around the memorial of the architect of the Indian Constitution.

He said the construction work at the site is progressing day in and out in conjunction with a similar project going on in Haryana.