The Maharashtra Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Wildlife, has written to the Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary (Forest) proposing that Sanjay Gandhi National Park(SGNP) be renamed as “Atal Bihari Vajpayee National Park” and that a world-class Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee University be established within the same campus.

Regarding the proposal to change the name, the letter states that this is primarily a policy matter and must be considered by the State Government at the appropriate level. It also suggests that the words “National Park” should be retained in any proposed name to avoid ambiguity regarding its statutory status as a protected area.