Indore (Madhya Pradesh) [India], April 20 (ANI): Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Sunday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave his blessings to make Madhya Pradesh a 'cheetah state' from being a 'tiger state'.

He said that the successful rehabilitation of cheetahs shows that the state's environment is suitable for the species.

'PM Modi gave us the blessings to convert our 'tiger state' into 'cheetah state'... Cheetahs have been able to survive in our (MP's) environment. There have been a lot of states where cheetahs became extinct, but today, they have been rehabilitated here. Two cheetahs have been released in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. It is a big effort to restore the ecosystem,' CM Yadav said.

Earlier in the day, the Chief Minister released two cheetahs in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary under Project Cheetah, marking a new phase in the government's wildlife conservation initiative.

The cheetahs were relocated from Kuno National Park to Gandhi Sagar Sanctuary as part of efforts to expand their habitat and promote biodiversity.

'History has been written today, as two cheetahs have been released in the Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary. I congratulate the countrymen,' CM Mohan Yadav said.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to wildlife conservation, the Chief Minister added, 'PM Modi had pledged to make Madhya Pradesh a cheetah state on the occasion of his birthday... Taking that pledge forward, we released cheetahs in Kuno National Park... due to which the state has become a centre of research.'

He also said the project would help create jobs. ''Project Cheetah' will also provide employment opportunities to many people,' he said.

Neemuch Chief Forest Officer Subharanjan Sen explained how the decision was made.

'When it was decided to bring cheetahs here, Kuno was the most suitable place, so the cheetahs were released there first. Apart from this, some places in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh were also chosen for releasing cheetahs,' he said.

'After Kuno in Madhya Pradesh, there was Gandhi Sagar, so they were released there. After this, Nauradehi was also considered a suitable place for cheetahs. We plan to release cheetahs there too in future,' Sen added. (ANI)