The country's first science city is to be established by the Union government in Calcutta, on the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass, at a cost of Rs 100 crore. The project will eventually include a spectacular space theatre similar to a modern planetarium, open air exhibits of prehistoric animals, scientific toys installed for demonstration, 2 special buildings housing scientific models and also a mini-Sunderbans recreated in a basement. Hardware and software for the city will be imported from Japan.

Although the project will take 2 years to complete, a 5,000 person-capacity auditorium, which is to be completed by the end of this year, will be the venue of the next session of the Indian National Science Congress in January 1995.

The Calcutta Municipal Corporation has sold about 12.15 ha to the Union government for the megaproject at a nominal price. While the Centre's department of science and technology will provide Rs 60 crore for the science city, a Rs 20 crore grant is expected from the Japanese government. The remaining Rs 20 crore will be raised from corporate houses.