Mumbai: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday announced in the state assembly that the Union government has officially approved the installation of a grand statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj inside the premises of Mumbai’s historic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). The monument has now been formally included in the station’s large-scale redevelopment master plan, marking a major step toward honouring the Maratha king at one of the city’s most iconic landmarks.
The announcement came in response to a query raised by Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Bhaskar Jadhav, who questioned why the terminus—renamed after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj years ago—still lacked a statue that embodied his legacy. Jadhav emphasised that CSMT, as a UNESCO World Heritage site, attracts millions of visitors and tourists, making it an ideal location for a prominent memorial.
Addressing these concerns, Fadnavis clarified that the Centre had already approved the proposal. “A fresh request from the state was never needed—the Union government has already taken the decision,” he said.
He further explained that a previous reply given by the Union Minister of State for Railways referred to an old layout plan, while the updated redevelopment design explicitly includes the statue’s placement.
