A planetarium like the one in Patna will be constructed on this plot (below) in Gaya. Telegraph pictures

Gaya, June 16: After Patna, two more cities in the state will have planetariums. The department of science and technology will set them up at Gaya and Darbhanga.

During the fourth Bihar Vigyan Congress organised at Patna planetarium on June 9, the state science and technology minister Gautam Singh announced the plan to construct the planetariums.

The department of science and technology joint director Saadat Hassan Minto, told The Telegraph: “A planetarium and a district science centre will come up in Gaya. The land at the north of Gandhi Maidan, where Gaya Public Library is situated, has been earmarked for establishing the planetarium. Former district magistrate of Gaya, Sanjay Singh, had earmarked the land and had sent it for the process of acquisition to the district revenue department.”

The district magistrate had submitted a report stating that motor garages are still operating on the plot.

The planetarium at Gaya will have a state-of-the-art projection unit. The joint director said it would be developed as early as possible.

The detailed project report for the planetariums at Gaya and Darbhanga were likely to be prepared by a private company, the joint director said.

The same private company is likely to be given the responsibility to prepare the project report to replace the existing projection machines at Patna planetarium.

The demand to establish a planetarium at Gaya was raised during the first Bihar Vigyan Congress held in Patna in 2003, which was jointly convened by Bihar Council of Science and Technology director and Magadh University chemistry teacher Ranjeet Verma.

Verma said: “In view of an international convention centre being established at Magadh University, there is a scope for setting up a science city in Gaya.”