Lucknow, April 7 The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday approved a statue development scheme, under which Rs 1 crore will be allocated to each of the state's 403 assembly constituencies for the beautification and development of statues of social reformers.
The approval for the "Dr B R Ambedkar Murti Vikas Yojna" was given at a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
Briefing reporters, Social Welfare Minister Asim Arun said the scheme aims to honor Dr B R Ambedkar and other eminent personalities who contributed to social reform and the cause of social justice.
He said the scheme will cover statues installed at public places, including government lands, urban local bodies, and panchayat areas.
Arun said the works will include the construction of protective canopies, boundary walls, landscaping, greenery, and proper lighting arrangements to ensure the safety and aesthetic improvement of the sites.
A maximum of Rs 10 lakh will be spent on each statue, he said, adding that standardized designs will be developed, taking into account local conditions as well as elements of sculpture and architecture.
In the initial phase, existing statues installed at public places until December 31, 2025, will be taken up for beautification and development, he said.
The minister added that the scheme will also cover statues of other social reformers such as Sant Ravidas, Sant Kabir Das, Jyotiba Phule, and Maharishi Valmiki.