Haryana: Vij initiates construction works of Aryabhatta Regional Sub-Centre and Museum in Ambala

AMBALA: Haryana home, health and urban local bodies minister Anil Vij initiated the construction works of a project namely Aryabhatta Vigyan Kendra (Sub Regional Science Centre and Museum) at Ambala Cantonment after performing a Bhoomi Poojan at the site as per the customs of the Hindu religion on Thursday afternoon.

Vij was scheduled to reach the site at 1 pm but he came 45 minutes late to perform the rituals.

The site is situated nearly 2 kilometers towards Kurukshetra from Ambala Cantt railway station and bus stand on National Highway (NH) 44, adjacent to under construction Shahidi Smarak worth around Rs 200 crore.

Vij told, "The Aryabhatta Vigyan Kendra would be developed in 5 acres at a cost of approximately Rs 40 crore in one year and a total of 60 different exhibits related to science and its rules will be established here. This development is being made to bring interest towards science subjects among the students, as the number of science students is declining in the state. This would be a double-storey building and efforts will be made to further extend it to four."

"To complete this project, a total of around Rs 40 crore would be spent, out of which, the administrative approval has been given for Rs 13.73 crore, and an amount of Rs 8.33 crore has been allotted. Instructions have been issued to concerned officials to complete the project on time and ensure complete transparency and maintenance of quality", told Vij.

Vij said, "It will be the most modern science center of the state. On completion of the construction of this building, Haryana Science and Technology Department (STD) and National Council of Science Museums (NCSM), Kolkata will jointly bring science-related items and models here. The digital adventure gallery to be set up here will have facilities for digital painting, balloon burst, augmented reality, color sensing robot, human body systems, interactive water halls, interactive sand tables, holograms, smart electronics, etc. Similarly, on the first floor there will be a provision of fun science gallery, science on sphere, virtual gallery theater, 270-degree impressive theater and planetarium."

Additional chief secretary (ACS) of Haryana STD Amit Jha, public works department (PWD) superintendent engineer Sanjeet Kumar, PWD executive engineer (XeN) Nishant, and other officials were present on this occasion.

Last year, Vij had laid the foundation stone of this science centre and museum on June 22, 2019.

The development is being done with the joint understanding of Haryana STD and the NCSM. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed at Ambala Cantt on June 22, 2019, in the presence of Anil Vij, then principal secretary of STD Ashok Khemka, director NCSM D Rama Sarma, and then Ambala deputy commissioner (DC) Sharandeep Kaur Brar.