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The much awaited beautification work around the iconic Horse statue at Master Canteen Square in Bhubaneswar kick started on Saturday.
The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) have jointly undertaken the work under the stewardship of eminent sculptor Padma Vibhushan Sudarshan Sahoo.
According to sources, the statues of lady dancers around the horse statue have been shifted with the help of cranes in the first phase. These statues along with some other sculptors will be installed around the Horse statue after the completion of the expansion of roads. The beautification work is expected to be finished within a period of two and half months. It will cover the area from Master Canteen Square to Ram Mandir.
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“I had submitted my plan for the architecture of the place to the BMC and the BDA, and it has been accepted. We have already started the beautification work. Hopefully, we will be able to finish it within the stipulated time period of two and half months,” said Sahoo.
“The place will be more attractive than earlier after the beautification work. The statues will be laminated and the spot will be illuminated to add more attraction,” he added.
It is worth mentioning that earlier in June this year, the Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) had proposed relocation of the statue which symbolises the might of the ancient Kalinga and the proposal was approved by the State Culture Department.
The Odisha government had stated that due to the widening of roads and construction of a multi-modal hub in the Capital city railway station- under the Smart City project- the iconic sculpture will lose its visibility. Therefore, it will be placed in the roundabout island in front of the Governor’s House to properly showcase its beauty.
However, owing to controversies and criticism from several quarters, the State government later withdraw its decision to shift the iconic statue.
(Edited by Pradeep Singh)
