Bihar govt to spend Rs 40 crore for upgradation of planatarium

Patna, Jun 13 (UNI) The Bihar government has decided to upgrade the Indira Gandhi Science Complex, housing the planetarium here, as a world class scentific centre this year at a cost of Rs 40 crores.

Announcing the decision here today, following the state cabinet meeting, official sources said ''Under the time-bound upgradation programme, sophisticated machinery would be imported to introduce state-of-the-art projection through lazer technology in the planetarium for viewing varied celestial movements and astronomical features.'' Agreeing that the Science and Technology department of the state government had largely remained idle for long, leading to a very poor state of affairs in the running of the state's only planetarium, the sources quoting the cabinet decision said all out efforts would now be made to turn the situation around.

Sources said the authorities of a leading planetarium in the country would soon be entrusted with the responsibility of introducing lazer technology and other modern features for improving the overall maintenance and other facilities of the planetarium here.

Besides, under the new programme, the IGSC would have a separate science centre, a meeting hall for about 300 people and a cafeteria, the sources said, adding that following successful implementation of the upgradation of Patna planatarium, a new planetarium might also be set up in North Bihar in near future.

However, no final decision in this regard had yet been taken, he clarified.

Meanwhile, the state cabinet had also decided to reopen all three engineering colleges in Motihari, Gaya and Darbhanga districts as they remain closed for long even after being taken over by the previous government from private ownership.

Efforts were also being made to open new engineering colleges at Chandi in Nalanda district and in Madhepura district besides a polytechnic at Asthawan in North Bihar with all modern facilities, the sources added.

UNI