Nearly three years after the grand unveiling of the 108-foot Statue of Prosperity near Kempegowda International Airport, the adjoining Kempegowda Theme Park—a key component of the ₹84 crore heritage project—remains incomplete. While the ₹62 crore statue, sculpted by Padma Bhushan awardee Ram V Sutar, was completed in just seven months and inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in November 2022, the ₹22 crore theme park has yet to break ground.
🏗️ Delays, Disputes, and Deadlines Missed
- The Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Heritage Area Development Authority (NKHADA), responsible for the park, has cited multiple hurdles:
- A gas pipeline beneath the designated land required tunneling approvals, delaying work by several months
- A wrongly issued work order stalled progress for four months
- Despite funds being allocated, no clear roadmap has emerged for project completion
⚔️ Political Blame Game
- The BJP, which conceptualized and executed the statue, has accused the Congress-led state government of stalling the park for political reasons
- Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, who oversees Bengaluru Development, countered that the previous government failed to pay contractors and left the project incomplete
“The statue was built in seven months, but everything else is taking its own sweet time,” said BJP leader Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, criticizing the lack of urgency
🏛️ Cultural Significance and Community Sentiment
- The statue honors Nadaprabhu Kempegowda, the 16th-century founder of Bengaluru and a revered figure among the Vokkaliga community
- The Kempegowda Foundation has urged that the project reflect inclusive development, emphasizing that Kempegowda’s legacy belongs to all communities in the city
📌 Why It Matters
- The stalled theme park raises concerns about project execution, political priorities, and heritage preservation
- With the Statue of Prosperity already attracting visitors, the incomplete park leaves a glaring gap in the city’s cultural infrastructure
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