REGIONAL SCIENCE CENTRE, COIMBATORE

The Government have sanctioned a seed money of Rs.10.00 lakhs towards alienation of land for the establishment of the Regional Science Centre including Planetarium at Coimbatore. A land measuring 5.91 acres in Survey No.453 at Vilankurichi Village, near Coimbatore City has been identified as a suitable site.

The Government have given enter-upon permission for the land and the same has been taken in possession by this Centre on 05.01.2001. In the first instance a compound wall has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs.10.00 lakhs in order to protect the land. Necessary building to establish the Planetarium is to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs.300.00 lakhs.

Further, the projector and other accessories required for the Planetarium is going to be imported at a cost of Rs.600.00 lakhs. For raising necessary funds a Fund Raising Committee is to be constituted by the Government, for which necessary proposals have been submitted to the government.

DISTRICT SCIENCE CENTRE AT VELLORE

The Government have approved the scheme for the acquisition of land for the District Science Centre at Vellore under Part-II Scheme for the year 1998-99 and sanctioned a sum of Rs.5.00 lakhs for this purpose as a seed money. The District authorities have also handed over a suitable land measuring 0.32 hectare of land at Sathuvachari, Vellore for the construction of District Science Centre at Vellore. It has been planned to establish the Science Centre at an ultimate cost of Rs.200 lakhs.

Under the X Five Year Plan, the Government of Tamilnadu have approved the establishment of galleries viz. Hall of Discovery, Environment, Industries & Leather Technology and sanctioned an amount of Rs.100 lakhs for the year 2004-2005. Works relating to the establishment of galleries are in progress in a faster phase.

DISTRICT SCIENCE CENTRE, MADURAI

The need for establishing a Science Centre was a long-time demand of the public of the Madurai region. The idea of the establishment of the District Science Centre had thus evolved and taken an important turning point with the keen interest evinced by the Government of Tamilnadu.

The proposed District Science Centre would function as the extension of the Tamilnadu Science and Technology Centre at Chennai. This medium sized Science Centre will have a Planetarium with a seating capacity of 50. Galleries will be set up covering an area of 300 sq.m., incorporating the state-of-art educational facilities, on the topics of Hall of Discovery, Environment, Bio Technology, Science Park & Herbal Garden and Non-Conventional Energy Park.