Rs 100 Crore Sanctioned By Maharashtra Government For Balasaheb Thackeray Memorial In Mumbai

Maharashtra’s cabinet has approved Rs 100 crore for funding the construction of a memorial dedicated to late Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray in Dadar, Mumbai, reports The New Indian Express.

The foundation ceremony for the memorial was held today (23 January), marking Balasaheb’s birth anniversary. In attendance were Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, who is known to have tried brokering an understanding between the BJP and Shiv Sena, stated that relations between the two had normalised.

Commenting on the memorial, he stated, “Late Balasaheb Thackeray was not just a Shiv Sena leader. He was a leader of the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance. All of us, in fact all the political parties in Maharashtra, see him with a high regard. That’s why the state government has decided to grant Rs 100 crore for his memorial. The memorial will keep inspiring the youth of Maharashtra.”

The memorial will come up at a sea-facing bungalow in Dadar, which has been there since British times and was till now being used as the Mumbai Mayor’s formal residence. The building spans a total area of 11,500 square metres and was given over to the Balasaheb Thackeray Rashtriya Smarak Nyas trust last year.