Statue of Unity to Get New Tourist Attractions at Ekta Nagar

Gandhinagar, Gujarat — The Statue of Unity (SOU), the world’s tallest statue at Ekta Nagar in Narmada district in Gujarat is all set to become a greater attraction for domestic and international tourists.

 A detailed discussion was also held during the 6th governing body meeting of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust in Gandhinagar, where  plans to make the SOU campus a greater tourist attraction were discussed.  These plans included a trekking trail on the hills near the Statue of Unity, a walkway, a hospitality district, and a replica of the Sardar Sarovar Dam near the entrance.

The ongoing development of adequate accommodation facilities for domestic and international tourists visiting the world’s tallest statue, the Statue of Unity (SOU) of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel at Ekta Nagar, will be accelerated and made more systematic.

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel chaired a holistic discussion during the 6th Governing Body meeting of the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust in Gandhinagar.

The Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Rashtriya Ekta Trust is an autonomous organization established by the Government of Gujarat under the Societies Registration Act, 1860, and the Bombay Public Trusts Act, 1950. The primary objective of this Trust is to develop a national memorial in memory of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and to undertake various public welfare activities in his honor.

To achieve this goal, a 10-member Governing Body has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister. This body includes the Chief Secretary, Chairman of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam, and senior secretaries from the Finance Department, Urban Development Department, Forest and Environment Department, Roads and Buildings Department, and the Managing Director of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam.

A detailed discussion was also held on plans to make the SOU campus a greater tourist attraction. These plans included a trekking trail on the hills near the Statue of Unity, a walkway, a hospitality district, and a replica of the Sardar Sarovar Dam near the entrance

Chief Executive Officer of the Statue of Unity Area Development and Tourism Authority,Amit Arora, presented the agenda items for the Governing Body meeting and provided a detailed overview of the various tourism development projects underway at SOU. The meeting also deliberated on establishing an internal capacity development system for the future operation and maintenance of the Statue of Unity.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary  Pankaj Joshi, Chairman of the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Mukesh Puri, Principal Secretary of the Finance Department T. Nataraj, Principal Secretary of Urban Development  M. Thennarasan, and Additional Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister  Avantika Singh, and Secretary of Roads and Buildings Prabhat Pateliya.