No move to close regional office in Odisha's Bhubaneswar, says ICCR chief

The Indian Council for Cultural Relation New Delhi has clarified that no decision has been taken about closure of the council’s regional office in Bhubaneswar.

BHUBANESWAR: The Indian Council for Cultural Relation (ICCR), New Delhi has clarified that no decision has been taken about closure of the council’s regional office in Bhubaneswar. Allaying apprehension over closure of the ICCR’s regional office, here, president of the council Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, MP has said all the regional offices of ICCR are functioning as per the annual plan.
“It is pertinent to mention that review of all ICCR Charters was done.

However, let me make it clear that ICCR has not taken any decision to close down its office at Bhubaneswar,” Sahasrabuddhe said in a prompt reply to Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday.The ICCR president’s reply came in response to Pradhan’s request for reconsideration of the council’s decision as the regional office of the council is doing a good job in promoting the rich cultural heritage of Odisha apart from providing opportunities to students from abroad to pursue higher studies on Odisha culture. In a letter to ICCR president, Pradhan said the decision to shift the council’s regional office in Bhubaneswar to Kolkata has triggered sharp reactions among the employees and researchers in Odisha.

Since the regional office is doing a good job in promoting culture and foreign student activities in a big way, Pradhan urged Sahasrabuddhe to reconsider the decision on the closure of the regional office.
ICCR started its functioning in Odisha on October 7, 2009, on the premises of the Ravenshaw University, Cuttack. The office, inaugurated Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, was shifted to Bhubaneswar on June 1, 2015.

ICCR represents the region which is extraordinarily rich with distinct type of ancient cultural heritage with its historical monuments, archaeological sites, traditional arts, sculpture, painting, dance and music and literature. The State played a very conspicuous and vital role in the cultural matrix of Indian civilisation.

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