Bhubaneswar: Following strong hatred and opposition from various parts of the plan to shift the iconic Konark warrior horse statue of the Master Canteen Square, the Odisha government has now changed its decision.
“The statue made by a famous sculptor, late Raghunath Mohapatra, will not shift from its original place.
Instead, this statue will be repaired and the podium will be changed,” said an official.
Informing about Decision Changes, Commissioner Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Sanjay Singh said, “The decision not to shift the warrior horse statue has been taken at the government level.
The statue will remain in its place and there will be a little structuring in the road design.” Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) has requested permission from the cultural department to shift the statue of the Master Canteen square to Raj Bhawan Square to give way for development projects in the smart city.
The state government said that because of various development projects that appear around the same place, the iconic horse statue is likely to lose visibility so that it will shift in front of the square of Raj Bhawan.
However, the decision to shift the statue loudly opposed by BJP and Congress and by sculptors and researchers and leading residents.
Welcoming the decision of the state government not to shift the statue, Congress Mla Suresh Roulay said, “We are pleased that the government understands the sentiment of the residents of Bhubaneswar and decided not to shift the iconic horse statue of the canteen box.
For years the statue became the capital’s identity and was Mute audience for some great events.
“The 18ftx15ft statue made in Khandolite Stone was installed in 1988 at that time the head of the Minister of Janaki Ballav Patnaik.
However, due to lack of maintenance and exposure to sunlight and rain, the statue becomes fragile.
Bhubaneswar: Following strong hatred and opposition from various parts of the plan to shift the iconic Konark warrior horse statue of the Master Canteen Square, the Odisha government has now changed its decision.
“The statue made by a famous sculptor, late Raghunath Mohapatra, will not shift from its original place.
Instead, this statue will be repaired and the podium will be changed,” said an official.
Informing about Decision Changes, Commissioner Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Sanjay Singh said, “The decision not to shift the warrior horse statue has been taken at the government level.
The statue will remain in its place and there will be a little structuring in the road design.” Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) has requested permission from the cultural department to shift the statue of the Master Canteen square to Raj Bhawan Square to give way for development projects in the smart city.
The state government said that because of various development projects that appear around the same place, the iconic horse statue is likely to lose visibility so that it will shift in front of the square of Raj Bhawan.
However, the decision to shift the statue loudly opposed by BJP and Congress and by sculptors and researchers and leading residents.
Welcoming the decision of the state government not to shift the statue, Congress Mla Suresh Roulay said, “We are pleased that the government understands the sentiment of the residents of Bhubaneswar and decided not to shift the iconic horse statue of the canteen box.
For years the statue became the capital’s identity and was Mute audience for some great events.
“The 18ftx15ft statue made in Khandolite Stone was installed in 1988 at that time the Head of the Minister of Janaki Ballav Patnaik.
However, due to lack of maintenance and exposure to sunlight and rain, the statue becomes fragile.