Efforts to re-install statues hit roadblock

HYDERABAD: The efforts of the state government to reinstall the vandalised statues on the Tank Bund during the Million March programme in March last year appears to have hit a roadblock.The cultural department has been receiving letters from several sculptors to cancel the earlier contract and re-allot it to 12 different sculptors.Director of the state culture department V Harshavardhan said : “We are trying to install the statues as early as possible.Negotiations were going on with the government and we are awaiting orders.’’ The state department of culture invited applications from sculptors and have received applications from 10 sculptors in the state.Out of these 10 sculptors, Sri Sai Baba Mega Shilpa Shala from Vijayawada who quoted the lowest bid, has been selected.But he had to withdraw the contract as he was threatened by other sculptors and Telangana activists.Again in October last, the department has called for fresh tenders.This time, out of the six bidders, West Godavaribased sculptor, Aruna Prasad Vudayar got the contract for Rs 47.5 lakh to reinstall the 12 statues on the Tank Bund.He was given a deadline to finish the work in two months before the end of 2011.Though Aruna Prasad Vudayar had been given the contract but he was not given the work order yet.“I have been waiting for the work order since October last and kept some samples of the statues ready, ‘’ he said.The 12 statues of Telugu icons - Sri Krishnadevaraya, Yerrapragada, Annamacharya, Siddendra Yogi, Brahmanaidu, Raghupathi Venkataratnam Naidu, Mutnuri Krishna Rao, Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Tripuraneni Ramswamy Choudary, Bellari Raghava, Sir Arthur Cotton and Gurajada Appa Rao - were damaged by the agitators on March 10 during the protest march.Except Bellari Raghava’s statue, all the other vandalised statues were dumped in the Hussainsagar.In the wake of outcry by poets, literary figures and civil organisations, the state government had decided to reinstall the statues at their designated pedestals.Following the government’s decision, the department of culture has invited applications from sculptors.