Madhya Pradesh's Hoshangabad City to be renamed as Narmadapuram

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced on February 19, 2021 that Hoshangabad city in the state would be renamed as Narmadapuram.

He made the announcement while speaking during the Narmada Jayanti programme held in Hoshangabad. The Chief Minister said a proposal for the name change will be sent to the centre. 

While addressing the gathering on the banks of Narmada, MP CM  Shivraj Singh Chouhan had asked whether the government should change the name of Hoshangabad, to which the people present there replied in the affirmative.

Then Chouhan asked, “What should be the new name?" and people replied, “Narmadapuram!”

Significance

•The Chief Minister stated that this is a historic moment for the city. Hoshangabad was so far named after an attacker Hoshang Shah but it will now be known after its lifeline- Maa Narmada. 

•River Narmada is the lifeline of the state of Madhya Pradesh. It is 5th largest river in India. 

•Narmada flows through rift valley and forms an estuary at its mouth.

•Many important cities of Madhya Pradesh such as Hoshangabad, Jabalpur, Mandla, Maheshwar, Narsinghpur, Omkareshwar, Jhabua, Badwaniare situated on its riverbank.

Key Highlights

•The protem Assembly Speaker Rameshwar Sharma expressed happiness over the Chief Minister's announcement. He had earlier made the demand to change the name of Hoshangabad.

•Sharma said that renaming of the city after lifeline Maa Narmada is a matter of happiness and he thanked the Chief Minister for making the announcement by respecting the public sentiment. 

•The Chief Minister also announced that the MP state government will not allow “cement-concrete structures” to be built along the Narmada river.

•He also stated that sewage treatment plants are being constructed in the cities located on its bank.

Opposition's Reaction

The state Congress spokesman Bhupendra Gupta termed the announcement as the ruling government's ploy to divert the attention of people from important issues such as rising fuel prices and inflation.