Had stainless steel been used, Shivaji Maharaj statue would not have collapsed: Union minister Nitin Gadkari

NEW DELHI: Had stainless steel been used to make the Shivaji Maharaj statue in Sindhudurg, it would not have collapsed, said Union highways minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday, as he advocated the need to use rust-resistant products in coastal areas.
“I have been pressing for the last three years that stainless steel should be used in the construction of bridges built close to sea.When I (as state minister) was implementing the construction of 55 flyovers in Mumbai, one person took me for a ride. He put some powder-coating on iron rods and said those were rust-proof… But there was rusting. Now I feel in all roads within 30km from the sea, stainless steel should be used. If stainless steel had been used for the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji, it would have never collapsed,” he said at a Ficci event.
Lookout notice against sculptor of Chhatrapati Shivaji statue
Sindhudurg police have issued a lookout notice for sculptor Jaydeep Apte, who has been untraceable for over a week following the collapse of the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Rajkot Fort in Malvan.
Last week, Malvan police filed an FIR against Apte and structural engineer Chetan Patil under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. While Patil remains in police custody until September 5, Apte is still in hiding.