NEW DELHI: The statue of Govind Ballabh Pant near the Raisina Road circle, on the junction of Raisina Road and Red Cross Road, has been relocated as part of construction of new Parliament building. The statue will now be seen at the intersection of Church Road, Lok Sabha Marg, Rajya Sabha Marg and Pandit Pant Marg.
Officials said that the shifting was necessary because of the new Parliament building’s layout. Given the central location and the fact that Pandit Pant Marg was named in honour of Bharat Ratna Pandit Govind Ballabh Pant, the proposed site of relocation, Roundabout No 48, was a suitable choice, said an official.
With two-foot-high mounds and shallow-stepped water body, the design elements of the statue are envisioned to represent the hilly regions of the country, paying tribute to Pandit Pant for his contribution to the development of hill regions, said the official.
Hardeep S Puri, Union Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs, while presiding over the garlanding ceremony of the statue, recalled the late leader’s contribution in India’s freedom struggle and said that “the new site has been developed in a befitting manner to honour his journey and philosophy, which continues to inspire Indians towards selfless dedication to the progress of our society and country”.
The Statue of Pandit Pant was installed in New Delhi in 1966 by the then President of India Dr S Radhakrishnan. The Gobind Ballabh Pant Memorial Society was formed to organise memorial functions across the country. Over the years it has been headed by past Presidents and Prime Ministers. Currently, the daughter- in-law of Pandit Pant and former MP, Ila Pant, is the chairperson of the society.
Earlier, the statue of Mahatma Gandhi on the premises of Parliament was shifted to another location in the last week. The 16-feet high bronze statue, sculpted by Ram Sutar, was unveiled on October 2, 1993.