KURUKSHETRA: The dream of setting up Kalpana Chawla Memorial Planetarium in Haryana has become a reality when Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda on Tuesday inagurated the Planetarium constructed at a cost of Rs 6. 60 crore here.

Chief Minister on the occassion announced that Haryana Government would set up  a medical college after the name of famous Astronaut Kalpana Chawla at Karnal with the assistance of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

He also paid his floral tributes to Kalpana Chawla. The Planetarium had been constructed by the National Science Museum Council, Union Ministry of Culture and State Science and Technology Council Haryana.

The Chief Minister said that Kalpana Chawla was not confined to the Haryana State only  but also she was a daughter of India . He said that the country is  proud of  her achievements. He became very emotional when he reminded the exemplary feats in the field of astronomy by Kalpana Chawla. He said that she was brought up in such a family which had good environment and she never forgot the culture of India and living at Karnal. He said that while getting her education in America, Kalpana Chawla was in touch  with the Indian culture. She
started her career from NASA, he added.

The Chief Minister said that she would also be a source of inspiration for the people especially to the students as they would derive inspiration from her life. He said that those who would visit this Planetarium they would be able to understand the mystry of space  and astroids and meteors, dwarf planets, high points of Indian Astronmy and the mystry of planets. He said that Panetarium would also be a source of spreading scientific and astronomical knowledge among
the visitors especially the children.
 
The Haryana Deputy Chief Minister,  Chander Mohan said that the Planetarium would develop scientific temper among the students. He said that in the modern age, India's competition was with developed country of  America.  He said that this memorial would be able to enrich the science education and kindle interest in astronomy in the entire region.
 
The Father of Kalpana Chawla,  Banarsi Das Chawla had become very emotional when he read out a letter written by Kalpana Chawla to the Director of Nehru Planetarium Delhi before going into the space. He reminded that Kalpana was always fond of to know the mystry of stars.She was also eager to know the mystry of planets and at last  she succeeded in her mission.
 
Earlier, the Chief Minister visited the Planetarium and evinced keen interest in the Astro Quiz, Kalpana Chawla with the coming members of her first space mission STS-107, Asteroids and Meteors and weight in different planets. He also saw the mystry of planets through a demonstration presented in the dome which had specially brought from America.

The Director General National Science Museum Council,  Ingit Mukherjee, Secretary Ministry of Culture,  Badal Kumar Dass, Financial Commisioner and Principal Secretary, Science and Technology,  Piyush Punderwani also spoke on the occasion.