Guj Confidential: ‘Atal Circle’ in the capital

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel unveiled the 12-feet bronze statue designed by renowned sculptor Ram V Sutar, who died recently. (Credit: Bhupendra Patel X)

The state capital of Gandhinagar – represented once in the Lok Sabha by late Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee – got a statue of him at the Ch-3 circle on his birth anniversary on Thursday. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel unveiled the 12-feet bronze statue designed by renowned sculptor Ram V Sutar, who died recently. Vajpayee won the general elections from Gandhinagar in 1996 and remained MP till 1998. The entire project including the landscaping around the circle, which also includes large billboards with famous lines by the poet-PM located in the secretariat complex under the Gandhinagar Municipal Corporation, was borne under the special grant of public amenities and development works allocated to the Mayor in the budget for 2024-25. Mayor Miraben Patel said the ‘Atal Circle’ “will enhance the beauty of Gandhinagar city”. (Ritu)

The AMC School Board, which is celebrating its centenary year this week, named five of its schools from Nava Vadaj area of Naranpura Assembly constituency after sages. The schools include Nava Vadaj Municipal School Number 1 of Naranpura Assembly Constituency which has been named Sati Anasuya Municipal Primary School, Nava Vadaj Municipal School Number 3/4 has been named Atri Rishi Municipal Primary School, Gandhinagar Municipal School Number 2 was renamed to Gautam Rishi Municipal Primary School, Nava Vadaj Municipal School Number 9/10 was named Vashishtha Rishi Municipal Primary School and Nirnaynagar Municipal Primary School was named Jamadagni Rishi Municipal Primary School. Nava Vadaj area falls in the Naranpura Assembly constituency – the seat Union Home Minister Amit Shah who represented as MLA before being elected as MP from the Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat of which Naranpura is a constituent. “In the name of such great sages and creating an identity of schools, different schools were named after them. In the coming time, schools will be named after more great personalities of the country, patriots, martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the country,” school board chairman Sujay Mehta said. With the intention of making children aware of the historical and cultural heritage, developing patriotism and values in them, the school board stated that as suggested by the CM Bhupendra Patel, the school board took an initiative of naming the schools after these great personalities. Majority of the 453 Municipal schools in Ahmedabad are currently identified by area and number.