Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday issued directions to include Birla Planetarium in the state's tourism map, she also offered the MP Birla group land in Rajarhat to set up a university.
Banerjee inaugurated the renovated and upgraded planetarium which is the first of its kind in Asia. Mayor Sovan Chatterjee was also present in the programme.
She said: "Both, South Point School and MP Birla Higher Secondary School have carved out a name for themselves. Such Higher Secondary schools must come forward to set up institutions for higher education. You may take a plot of land in Rajarhat to set up an institution for higher studies."
"Campuses of St Xavier's University, Presidency University and Amity are coming up at Rajarhat. You (MP Birla group) may take land now at Rajarhat or else later it would not be available," the CM said.
She said: "Today the planetarium is starting a new journey. It should get connected to the tourism map also so that people know about it. Students from every school must visit the place. We must request foreign tourists who are visiting India and Bengal also to visit the place."
Madhav Prasad Birla, who set up the planetarium in 1963, was a visionary as today it has emerged as a knowledge hub, said the Chief Minister.
Recollecting her school days, the Chief Minister said: " I once came to MP Birla Planetarium when I was in school. Since that day I was fascinated by space science and astronomy."
Students will love to see this. It is not only for their education but will give them a vivid knowledge on this subject. "Festivals are related to astronomy as dates are finalised by the position of the sun and moon," she said adding that it had been renovated at a cost of Rs 40 crore and the gallery that has been set up in the planetarium would be helpful to youngsters and elders alike.
The upgraded planetarium will be opened to the public on July 22 after remaining closed for 2 years. Harsh V Lodha, Chairman of the MP Birla group spoke of the decision to upgrade it to the most advanced one in the world after 52 years of its inception.
The latest Carl Zeiss Hybrid Projection System, with an optomechanical projector, capable of showing the night sky naturally, and nine hybrid resolution digital projectors create an immersive impression of the cosmos in the renovated planetarium.