CPWD asks officials to complete work on memorial at Dandi by Dec

The Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has directed its officials to complete civic works of the National Salt Satyagraha Memorial being built at Dandi in Gujarat by the end of this year.

In his letter to Union Cultural Secretary Arun Goel, CPWD Director General Prabhakar Singh sought early release of funds to the agency so that there is no "bottleneck" in progress of works. The memorial, which commemorates the historic Dandi March of 1930 against the salt tax, is expected to open for the public by January.

According to the CPWD, a constituent of the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry, the memorial works are in its final stage.

Singh requested the cultural ministry to take up the issue of operation and maintenance with the state government once civil works are completed, besides development of surrounding areas since the memorial complex of 15 acre in isolation would not project "desired level of attraction".

The memorial project of the Union Culture Ministry is advised by a High Level Dandi Memorial Committee (HLDMC), designed, coordinated and implemented by IIT Bombay in association with an international design team.

"I have directed all concerned of CPWD and the contractor to ensure completion of the work by December 31, 2018," the CPWD DG said in the letter.

Prabhakar wrote to the Union cultural secretary after he had on October 25 visited the site of National Salt Satyagraha Memorial.

It will have life-size statues of Mahatma Gandhi and around 80 associates who completed the march in 1930.

The project's Master Plan's stated that the Memorial is at the site where Gandhi and his fellow marchers picked up salt from the sea beach to "break the Salt Law imposed by the British India".

(With inputs from agencies.)