CM urged Pitroda to become mentor

Bhopal. Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has expressed gratitude towards Advisor to Prime Minister and Chairman of National Innovation Council Shri Sam Pitroda for his state visit and has urged him to become mentor of ambitious projects for establishment of Knowledge City near Ujjain and development of Bhopal as Global Environment City. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has made this appeal in a letter to Shri Pitroda.
It may be mentioned that Shri Sam Pitroda during his recent visit to Bhopal held detailed talks with Chief Minister Shri Chouhan and senior officers of the State Government over Ujjain Knowledge City and Global Environment City Bhopal. Shri Pitroda also lavished praise on IT sector works in the state and projects for establishment of Knowledge City near Ujjain and development of Bhopal as Global Environment City. He has also expressed desire to extend necessary cooperation and guidance to Madhya Pradesh government. Following these talks and discussions with Shri Pitroda, Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has written this letter to him seeking his cooperation and guidance.
It may be mentioned that Ujjain is one of the most ancient cities of the world. Yogeshwar Shri Krishna had imbibed education in Sandeepni Ashram. Ujjain has also a distinct identity in Indian science and knowledge. Great scholars and kings like Acharya Vriah Mihir, Mahakavi Kalidas and Emperor Ashoka had been associated with Ujjain, the city famous for astrology and time calculation. The observatory established by Raja Jai Singh also underscores the city’s significance. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has decided to develop Ujjain as Knowledge City to review its pristine glory. Knowledge City will be developed on about 500 acres of land at a cost of about Rs. 3,500 crores.
Shri Pitroda has not only lauded the concept of Knowledge City, but has also suggested to develop it as centre of science and knowledge in true sense instead to being confined only to establishment of educational institutions. In this context, Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has urged Shri Pitroda to become mentor of Knowledge City.
Concept of development of Bhopal as a Global Environment City is also a result of Chief Minister Shri Chouhan’s pragmatic thinking. After leakage of poisonous gas from Union Carbide plant in 1984, this beautiful city is known in the world for this industrial disaster. Pained by this situation, Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan wishes to change this negative identity of Bhopal by developing it as Global Environment City. According to Shri Chouhan, Bhopal is the only city which has a National Park in its midst. Two World Heritage sites including Bhimbethka and Sanchi are situated with 40 kilometer radius of the city. Bhopal has two big lakes beside a number of small water bodies and hillocks covered with greenery. Despite being fastest growing city of the country, Bhopal has been able to preserve its natural beauty and greenery to a large extent. Due to these natural and environmental specialities, Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan intends to develop Bhopal as a Global Environment City. During his Bhopal visit, Shri Pitroda had praised Chief Minister Shri Chouhan’s vision and thinking and advised to associate world-level environmentalists with the project of development Bhopal as Global Environment City. The Chief Minister has urged Shri Pitroda to become mentor of the project in view of his advice and spirit of cooperation.