Broken statues to be re-installed

The Department of Culture has given nod to restart the installation project of 12 vandalised bronze statues at Tank Bund and set a deadline to complete the project before the World Telugu Conference in December.

“Recently, the government released funds for the project and we have given a cheque of 20 lakh to the contractor, Aruna Prasad Vudayar, on Wednesday,” said RV Prasada Rao, director of the Department of Culture.

The department has set up a three-members expert committee headed by retired JNTU principal SM Peeran and asked it to cooperate with Vudayar in completing the project by the second week of November as the World Telugu Conference will be held on December 27, 28 and 29, Rao said.

Aruna Prasad, a sculptor, was given the contract of the statues’ installation for Rs 47.5 lakh in September 2011 and received his first instalment Rs 5 lakh. He finished half of the work but stopped in January this year as he was not paid his second instalment. “So far, 12 fibre statues are ready for bronze casting. As I’ve received the second instalment of Rs 20 lakh, I will complete it within two months,” said Aruna Prasad.

The 12 statues were vandalised and dumped into the Hussain Sagar at Tank Bund during the Million March programme in March 2010.