Gandhinagar: Some points to ponder regarding the expenditure made for the Statue of Unity: First of all, we don’t need to justify projects out of guilt that it provides employment and tourism and all that…. We should unapologetically say that this is for our grand narrative and that too is important to us to maintain sense of history. We all celebrate our ancestors and do puja and have their photos in our home. We don’t see rate of interest as it is sentimental and important for our sense of lineage. Same way revering our historical ancestors is important for our sense of history. We respect Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel immensely and we have every right to create a grand monument in his honor. Commercial aspects are not relevant. Commercial viability is not a point.

Hey @ShekharGupta it does not matter even if takes 1200 years to break even. This project is to give rich tribute to #sardarvallabhbhaipatel and not for making money out of it. https://t.co/popF1Vzv9L

— ધવલ પટેલ (@dhaval241086) October 30, 2018

If we stoop to a level down and discuss statue’s cost and other worldly arguments, the central government’s annual budget is in size of Rs 25 lakh crore, the annual budget of Gujarat government is in the size of Rs 1.83 lakh crore. Rs 3,000 crore for creating a world-class tourist destination, that too which has our dearest iron man of India, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at focal point is surely valid. After all, which was the world-class tourist facility we developed recently? Our tourism is all about Taj Mahel, Red Fort, Kutub Minar, palaces and forts of Rajasthan, temples of South India, a long list of attractions that were built decades and centuries ago. Which grand global level structure was built in our time, in our generation, in recent decades in terms of tourism? Just in Gujarat last year Rs 5,000 crore was spent for purchasing groundnut at support price. The sum which would be useful for some beneficiaries for few months. Spending Rs 3,000 crore for one-time for a cause that would stand apart for decades to come should be perfectly fine.

An argument regarding Rs. 3,000 crore expenditure for statue is presented in a way like the government threw away money in Arabian sea! No, there was distribution of money and creation of asset throughout the progress of this project. Just go through the details of money circulated domestically in the course of building this statue, as shared by Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel (on 28 September 2018):

-The construction of which initially around 1500 and later 4000 skilled, semi skilled and non-skilled Indian workers got employment.

-As on 28 September 2018, creation of more than 25,66,500 manpower days have been done.

-Around 225 Indian engineers also employed to the tune of 1,66,666 manpower days.

-Wages and salaries to mostly Indian workers and engineers to the tune of Rs 500 crores have been paid.

-Indirect employment in terms of 1.70 lakh cubic feet cement used in the project and around 24,000 ton steel, all of which has been produced in Indian cement plants, steel plants and rolling mills.

-Thousands of trucks have been used for transportation of materials including greet, sand.

-Thousands of people in the country have got direct or indirect benefit through money spent for statue project.

-Indian engineers have in course of this project received global level experience of building a gigantic structure.

-The statute was being built by a reputed Indian company L&T after winning a global tender. Most of the materials used for it including 70,000 ton cement, 18500 ton reinforced steel, 6000 ton structured steel, 1700 ton copper has also been taken from India including the collection of old iron equipment used for cultivation collected from farmers all across India.

-Less than 5% of the material used in the project was from foreign country and for fitting of such material less than 200 workers from outside had come against total 4,000 workers.
Only 1700 ton bronze meant for giving outer coat to the statue has been procured from China as none of the Indian companies supply it. If taking a small amount of the material which is not available in India from outside meant that it was made in China then we can assume that Rahul Gandhi is also an Italian because some portion of his blood was of Italian origin and though it is none of my subject but Congress should also think why it has made a person with mixed blood as its president,’ he had said.

Time will tell. In late 1940s, Somnath reconstruction was questioned for 'unnecessary' and 'untimely' expenditure. After over 60 years it draws 1 crore visitors annually (source: Shri Somnath Trust) more than Taj Mahal, and keep money in circulation at this last point before sea https://t.co/0bXmJMVnAS

— Japan K Pathak (@JapanPathak) October 30, 2018

DeshGujarat