Bhubaneswar, March 23: A World conference on Odia language will be organised next year for which an allocation of Rs 1 crore has been made in the budget for 2018-19.
Announcing this while presenting the budget, finance minister Sashi Bhusan Behera said the state government has decided to organise a world conference on Odia language every five years. Odia
Language Commission will also be set up for spread and preservation of Odia language, Behera said and added that fees for studying Odia at the graduate and post-graduate level in government colleges and universities will be waived.
The criteria for getting Byasakabi Fakir Mohan scholarship for students would be relaxed, the minister said and added that talented students securing high marks in Odia at plus two and plus three levels
will now be eligible for scholarship. Behera said more incentives will be given for research in Odia language and literature on the pattern of University Grants Commission.
Stating that Odia Virtual Academy will digitise Odia literature and books and make it available online, Behera announced an allocation of Rs 1 crore for birthday celebration of Atibadi Jagannath Das and renovation of Kapileswarpur and Satalhandi Matha.