HYDERABAD: Due procedures were followed while finalising tenders for reinstallation of the 12 damages statues on the Tank Bund, claims the government.Speaking with Express, M. Kantha Rao, director of cultural affairs, has said tenders were finalised for re-installing the statues of Bellary Raghava, Sir Arthur Cotton, Gurajada Appa Rao, Kandukuri Veeresalingam, Tripuraneni Ramaswamy Chowdary, Mutnuri Krishna Rao, Raghupati Venkaiah, Sri Krishnadevaraya, Venkataratnam Naidu, Brahma Naidu, Siddhendra Yogi, Errapragada and Annamacharya.The cost of making the statues has been restricted to Rs 54 lakh, each costing in the range of Rs 4 lakh to Rs 6 lakh. The statues will be made with bronze. The agency has been asked to make these statues and install them in about three months time.On the demand for installation of the statues of Telangana luminaries, Rao said efforts were being made to install the statue of Komaram Bheem, the Gond leader who fought against the Nizam for the rights of tribals, on the Tank Bund in August. Only after receiving the funds from the tribal welfare department will the work on the statue be taken up. Otherwise, it will be held up. On the allegation made by some sculptors, Kantha Rao said nine sculptors formed themselves into a syndicate and bid for Rs 7 lakh and above for each statue. The expert committee and the financial committee, after going through the tenders, realised the sculptors’ evil design and decided to allot the work to Shiva Varaprasad by following procedures and principles, Kantha Rao said.Before installation, a government-appointed committee will examine the quality, face and shape of each statue, he added.
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