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The Maharashtra government has planned to build its very own Statue of Liberty of Maratha warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji, off the coast of Mumbai in the Arabian Sea. The statue of the Maratha warrior king will mirror (Statue of Liberty) another global icon, the statue of liberty in New York.

“We are also planning a light and sound show and a museum so that people get to know Shivaji, the king and the administrator,” said Vilasrao Deshmukh, Chief Minister, Maharashtra.

The statue will be 93 meters tall- the same height that of Statue of Liberty in New York. But the supposed statue of 17th century Maratha king at 309 feet and cast in bronze, rising 1.8 km from the Arabian Sea, has already created lots of controversies. It is a sudden proposal woken up to four years after being in power by the congress led Maharashtra government. Questions are being raised on the proposal as elections are coming next year.

“What’s the need? It will be a problem whether aesthetically, environmentally or economically,” said Nayana Kathpalia, convener, Citispace.

Not what the chief minister and his deputy were thinking during a site inspection, an island measuring 30,000 square meters and a ferry service to be built along the city’s coast, a coastline that also happens to host one of Mumbai’s most coveted promenades. It is among the country’s most well-known landmarks.

“I think this is nothing but an attempt by the government to garner some votes keeping in mind next year’s elections,” said R N Somani, Walkers Association of Marine Drive.

The project is expected to cost nearly five million dollars.

Tags: Maharashtra, Mumbai, New York, Statue of Liberty, Vilasrao Deshmukh

Country’s financial capital Mumbai has set his position in the top ten billionaire cities of the world. Forbes, the American business magazine has listed Mumbai at position seven in its survey available on the website of Forbes.

Mumbai comes in the list with an average net worth of 7.6 billion dollars ahead of San Francisco, Dallas and Tokyo.

The Russian capital city Moscow has bagged top position in terms of billionaire population housing the largest number of billionaires, as much as 74.

“Moscow knocked off New York from its perennial No 1 position since 2001,” the magazine said.

However when it comes to the degree of affluence, the Indian city of Mumbai transcends the Russian capital with an average wealth of around 7.6 billion dollars.

Moscow is home to as many as 74 billionaires with an average net worth of 5.9 billion dollar while Mumbai boasts of 20 billionaires, with an average worth of 7.6 billion dollar, as compared by Forbes.

Hong Kong, the most popular city for billionaires in Asia, is the home for 30 billionaires.

“Mumbai earns bragging rights as the city on our list with the richest billionaires,” the magazine added.

“Mumbai’s 20 billionaires, including two of the world’s 10 richest (brothers Mukesh and Anil Ambani), are worth an average 7.6 billion dollar, handily besting Moscow’s 5.9 billion dollar average,” the magazine added.

New York and London are home to 71 and 36 billionaires respectively. New York comes with an average net worth of 3.3 billion.

The other cities included in the list are Istanbul which boasts of 34 billionaires, Hong Kong with 30 and Los Angeles with 24 billionaires.

London homes 36 billionaires but interestingly 18 of them are citizens of other countries. New York City has just one foreign billionaire who claims residence there, and Moscow is home only to Russian billionaires.

Tags: Dallas, Forbes, India, Moscow, Mumbai, New York, San Francisco, Tokyo