Andhra Pradesh - Ongole   

Pedestal for Mother Theresa statue demolished

Special Correspondent

ONGOLE: The district administration demolished the pedestal meant for installation of the statue of Mother Theresa at Ongole on Friday on the plea that the statue committee had not taken its prior approval.

A committee with some respectable citizens was formed here to install the statue of Mother Theresa in front of Revenue Divisional Office in honour of her memory. The Roads and Buildings Department, which owns the land, gave its consent. The Municipal Council too has passed a resolution saying that it has no objection for installation of the statue at the site. The committee has given order for the statue. It has yet to seek permission of the statue committee for which the district Collector is chairperson and the Superintendent of Police, RDO, Municipal Commissioner are members.

Meanwhile, district Collector B. Udaya Lakshmi took serious objection to some persons installing the statue of Damodaram Sanjeevaiah in front of Prakasam Bhavan without permission. It became difficult for the officials to remove the statue once it was installed.

So, she ordered that the organizers should take prior permission of the statue committee before constructing pedestal or installing the statue of any person in Ongole town. Following her instructions, the Roads and Buildings Department aided by revenue, police and municipal officials descended on the place in the early hours with a poclain and pulled down the pedestal meant for installation of Mother Theresa statue.

It was described as hasty decision in view of the fact that the pedestal was constructed in such a way as not to cause any problem, either traffic or aesthetics. Interestingly, there was a huge plaque constructed to mark Praja Padham programme on side of the pedestal and bus shelter on the other side.

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