Naidu gives nod for the ₹406-crore project

A 32-metre-tall statue of former Chief Minister N.T. Rama Rao, coming up on a hillock at Neerukonda in Guntur district, is set to become another major tourist attraction in Amaravati.

A team of Design Consultants, an entity of engineering giant Larsen & Toubro (L&T), has submitted a few designs of what is going to be the ‘NTR Memorial project’ planned in about 200 acres, which include 14 acres earmarked for the statue. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu gave his nod for it at a review meeting on CRDA projects on Wednesday.

The project is estimated to cost about ₹406 crore and it has been tentatively decided to float a trust to raise a portion of the funds required by it.

The cost of installation of the statue will approximately be ₹155 crore and ₹113 crore for built-up space around it.

Visitors can reach the top of the statue through lifts, and there will also be an museum inside.

It has also been proposed to build a star hotel, shopping centres, resorts and other facilities to attract tourists.

The statue is likely to be made of bronze as suggested by the L&T team, which said the project could be completed in 46 months.

‘Smruthi Vanam’

‘Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Smruthi Vanam’ at Inavolu in Thullur mandal, which is about three-km away, with a 125-feet-tall statue of Dr. Ambedkar is the biggest such project taking shape in Amaravati. Mr. Naidu will lay the raft foundation for Secretariat and HoD complex on December 19 at a depth of 13 feet and with a mammoth 12,000 cubic metres of concrete going into it.

The master plan and designs for five towers, which constitute the Secretariat & HoD complex, have been submitted by Foster+Partners (F+P) and all the towers will have a single foundation.