Bhopal’s Habibganj station which is to be launched as India’s first world-class railway station on 15 November has been renamed after Rani Kamlapati, the last Gond queen of the 18th Century. The decision was taken by the Ministry of Home Affairs upon a request by the Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led Madhya Pradesh government. Chauhan Saturday said he was thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accepting the state’s request.
“I thank PM Modi from my heart. I express gratitude on behalf of 8.5 crore people of Madhya Pradesh and the tribal community for renaming Habibganj station after Rani Kamlapati. She was the honour of Gond samaj, the last Hindu queen,” he said. The chief minister also said the renaming of the station is a symbol of respect and empowerment of women. In a letter to the home ministry on 11 November, the MP government said Rani Kamlapati was the 18th Century Gond queen of the region and renaming the station will “honour her legacy and bravery.”Habibganj station is the first station to have been modernised and redeveloped under public-private partnership (PPP) model at a cost of Rs 100 crore and will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi on 15 November.