Readers tell us if Maharashtra should spend Rs 3,600cr on Shivaji memorial

Ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation for Rs 3,600cr Shivaji memorial in the Arabian Sea, the colossal project has come under severe criticism from various quarters.

While environmentalists have pointed out that it poses a major threat to the 110-km coastal area of the Arabian sea and its marine habitat, the fishing community, Kolis, expressed fears that their livelihoods will be directly affected by it.

Others argue that the money could have helped achieve a lot of development targets not just for "Maximum City", but Maharashtra as a whole.

The budget for the proposed memorial, which will stand tall at 192 metres when ready (double the height of America's Statue of Liberty), is almost as much as the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's annual health budget — Rs 3,694 crore.

Citizens are angry that the BJP government in the state is spending so much money on the project, especially when the state has seen a sharp increase in farmer suicide cases in the past two years due to heavy drought losses.

Interestingly, the project — which incidentally added fuel to the fire over PM Modi's demonetisation drive — was first proposed by the Congress-led government in Maharashtra back in 2008.

While the clamour continues to grow louder, we asked our readers if they think the government is really being insensitive or is it something really important for the state and the country.

Here's how they reacted:

DailyO readers weigh in.

Anjum Raja: Had it been their hard earned money or they had been paying tax honestly and regularly, they would have never done it.

Sanjiv Brar: Definitely not. Stop votebank politics.

Siddharth Saraf: Why not? 

Also read: Shivaji statue is a sad excuse to divide India

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