Superslow work on superstar's memorial

The delay is all thanks to increasingly inflated demands being made by a sub-committee formed to assist in its creation.

The sub-committee formedu00a0 to make Dr Rajkumar Prathishtana a reality thatu00a0 comprises members of Dr Raj's family and filmmakers has reportedly presented an exorbitantly bloated budget and more land for the memorial that was to be built at a cost of Rs 10 crore.

u00a0"Increasing demands from the sub-committee are too expensive to meet," said a source from Kanteerava studios. "The plan is not what it was. It's changed and the budgetary requirements too have gone up."

Dr Rajkumar's family and filmmakers has reportedly presented an exorbitantly bloated budget and more land for the memorial.

The demands

Work on the Dr Raj memorial, which began last November after a delay of over two years, has hit a roadblock reportedly due to several changes at Kanteerava studios, where the matinee idol's fourth death anniversary was observed yesterday.

The government, which had set aside a budget of Rs 10 crore to construct the memorial, is understandably reluctant to revise cost projections for the project upwards.

"The land allotted to the project is worth over Rs 30 crore in addition to the budget of Rs 10 crore. They have come up with new demands that are hard to meet.

One is their proposal for wooden flooring in the premises.

Their architects have been directed to seek the Karnataka Wood Research Center's clearance on durability of wood, as exposure to sun and rain may damage wooden flooring. Such demands are coming in the way of speedy realisation of the initiative."

In no mood

"We don't have extra land to fulfill their demands," said an official on the condition of anonymity. "We will bring the matter to the government's notice."

Studio69, the architectural firm that is creating the memorial, have said that they want the memorial to be one of its kind in the world.
u00a0
The firm's representatives refused to comment if the change in plans and hike in expenses had affected their work.

"We have got an RCC amphitheatre, water body, landscaping and murals. We wanted to introduce as many natural elements as possible in the structure," explained Ganesh Kumar, a Studio69 architect.
u00a0
"I am unable to comment on the modifications suggested and its effect on the completion schedule because we have frozen our designs. However, it is true that we are waiting for some decisions from the government."
u00a0u00a0u00a0
While state government officials refused to comment on additional demands from the sub-committee, they admitted the budget has been extended by Rs 1.8 crore.

"Yes, an extra budget of over Rs 1.8 crore has been allocated," said RK Shivram, the managing director, Kanteerava Studios, who is also a member of the Dr Rajkumar Prathishtana. "There are no excess demands from either Dr Raj's family or the filmmakers, in the sub-committee."

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!