Staff Reporter
ITANAGAR, Oct 15: The Gujarat Government has extended an open invitation to the people of Arunachal Pradesh and other union state governments to be part of the historic unveiling of the ‘Statue of Unity’ on 31 October, 2018.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is inaugurating the Statue of Unity on 31st October amidst host of dignitaries from various states and across the world.
The Statue of Unity is a statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, built at the Sadhu Bet Island, 3.5 kilometers away at the south of Sardar Sarovar Dam at Kevadia in Narmada district of Gujarat.
Standing at 182 meters,the statue will be the world’s tallest statue and is built in tribute to the Iron Man of India (Sardar Patel) for his sacrifice and service to the nation as a freedom fighter and as the Home Minister of India.
Sardar Patel led independent India to unite all 562 princely states that remained free after the British Raj came to an end.
Gujarat Government Minister of State Cooperation Culture, Sports and Transport, Ishwarsinh Patel led the 12 member-delegation,which include two Members of Parliament, Darshna Ben Jardosh of Surat and Bhartiben D Shiyal of Bharnagar, and three MLAs, Sangitaben Patil, Pravin Bhai and Vinod Moradiya.
The minister led the team and formally invited the governor and chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh to be part of the unveiling ceremony of the Statue of Unity.
Further, Ishwarsinh informed that an invitation would be extended from 1 to 30 November for the common masses to visit the Statue of Unity.
“The government of Gujarat is arranging accommodation and transportation so that visitors do not have any trouble,” the Gujarat minister said.
He also informed that the Gujarat Government is providing state guest house for each state in India at Sadhu Bet and its adjacent areas for convenience of tourists from the Indian states.
He also informed that the 230 hector of area adjacent to the Statue of Unity would be converted to a valley of flowers, especially as a tourist attraction.
Meanwhile, in an interaction with the delegation, Arunachal Governor BD Mishra recalled the contributions of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and said that the unveiling of the tallest statue of Sardar Patel in Gujarat is a befitting tribute to the illustrious freedom fighter and the unifier of independent India.
The governor further expressed hope that the invitation of the government of Gujarat will go a long way in strengthening the bond between the people of the eastern most part of India and the western most part of the nation.
The Statue of Unity is being constructed under the Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust. (With inputs from PRO to Raj Bhawan)
