The project includes design, construction, and ten years of maintenance under IIT-Bombay's guidance. MUMBAI: Maharashtra Public Works Department (PWD) on Tuesday floated a tender to construct a new Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg. The new statue is estimated to cost around Rs 20 crore .

The new statue will be around 60 feet tall and will take 6 months to complete. PWD will finalise a company once bids are received, said officials. "The contract will include design engineering, procurement, construction, erection, operation and maintenance of the statue as well.

The tender document also states that the statue will have a 100-year guarantee and that the contractor has to do maintenance and repair of the statue for 10 years. The work will start after preparing the 3-foot fibre model and getting approval from the Arts Directorate. The project will be executed under the guidance of IIT-Bombay and experienced agencies will be given the task of erecting this statue," said an official.

Last month, CM Eknath Shinde had announced the setting up of a Navy-state govt joint technical panel to probe the reasons for the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj statue in Malvan. Shinde had also directed PWD to appoint a committee of the country's best sculptors, civil engineers, experts and naval officers to erect a new grand statue of Shivaji Maharaj 'befitting his achievements'. The panel also has members from the JJ School of Arts, IIT, civil engineers, and renowned sc.