E-Paper
Science City project on revival path
AFTER THREE years in the cold storage, the much hyped Allahabad Science City project is on the verge of kicking-off once again. Union Ministry of HRD has now entrusted the task of developing the project to the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology. Following the development, the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) YK Upadhaya?posted here to co-ordinate the project? has handed over the charge to MNNIT officials on August 31 and has joined back at his earlier post at the Rural Development Department.
AFTER THREE years in the cold storage, the much hyped Allahabad Science City project is on the verge of kicking-off once again. Union Ministry of HRD has now entrusted the task of developing the project to the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (MNNIT).
Following the development, the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) YK Upadhaya—posted here to co-ordinate the project— has handed over the charge to MNNIT officials on August 31 and has joined back at his earlier post at the Rural Development Department.
MNNIT Director Prof Arun Baran Samaddar has already got down to the task of ascertaining the status and the hurdles of the project and is at the moment busy discussing details of the project with MHRD.
"The MHRD has asked MNNIT to develop the project. We have officially been handed over the charge now.
It is indeed a big responsibility and we have begun preparations for it. I have nominated the former MNNIT's Dean (Academic Affairs) and a senior teacher of the Applied Mechanics Department Prof Rakesh Mathur as the faculty in-charge of the prestigious project," informed MNNIT Director Prof Arun Baran Samaddar.
He said that talks with the Ministry are already on in this regard.
"I have visited the site where the science city is to come up. The first challenge and the primary task will be to construct a boundary wall around the allotted land so as to make it safe from the threat of encroachments.
For this, we will be approaching the district administration for their support," Prof Samaddar said.
Prof Samaddar said he has gone through the Kolkata Science City and expressed confidence that MNNIT will be able to fulfil this latest challenge in style. "I will be personally visiting New Delhi to hold face--to-face talks about the science city project with the Ministry officials in November. That done, we will start working out other details in earnest," he added.
It may be recalled that Science City Project, a dream project of the then Union HRD and Science and Technology Minister Dr Murli Manohar Joshi was sanctioned by him four years ago and was to be completed by 2007.
The foundation stone of northern India's first Science City was laid in Naini by the Dr Joshi in 2003 with the objective of completing the work within four years.
For this purpose, a fund of Rs 14.73 crore was even released against the total cost of Rs 94 crore. The fund has already been transferred in the account of Science City Society.
The land for the project too has been provided free of cost by the Uttar Pradesh Government. A portion of the land is to be used for the construction of the buildings and the remaining area is to be developed as a Science Park. The society has acquired a land area of 30 acres so far.
The Science City at Allahabad is to be developed for the purpose of Education, Communication and Entertainment in various fields of science and technology.
Once complete, the Science city is to non-formally teach different principles of science and technology through hands-on interactive exhibits—a method which has proved very effective all over the world.
