BHUBANESWAR: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan on Monday requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to expedite the process of land allotment for development of a memorial on Paika Rebellion near Barunei hill in Khurda district.
In a letter to the Chief Minister, Pradhan reminded the Centre’s request to the State Government for providing 50 acre of land in the foothills of Barunei for construction of a memorial in commemoration of Paika Rebellion.
Recalling his August 24 discussion with Naveen on the issue during the memorial meeting of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the City, Pradhan said, “As the movement is an integral part of Odisha pride, it will be the centre of attraction and source to remember the heroes of Paika Rebellion for posterity.”
“Given the sanctity of the occasion and its importance in the cultural landscape of the State, it would be befitting to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to do the ground breaking formalities of the event,” he said.
A museum and audio-visual system depicting the life and times of Buxi Jagabandhu and Paika Rebellion are proposed to be the main attraction of the memorial. The Centre and the Indian Oil Foundation have made adequate provision to commemorate the event, Pradhan said.
In March this year, Union Minister of State for Culture Mahesh Sharma had written to the Chief Minister to identify 50 acre of land either at Khurda or in the foothills of Barunei hill for the proposed memorial.
“Paika Rebellion of Khurda is an event of great historical importance to the State. It is therefore proposed to create a permanent infrastructure in the form of a memorial,” Sharma had written in the letter.
The Centre had organised a function in New Delhi on July 20, 2017 to commemorate the completion of 200 years of the Paika Rebellion. The occasion was graced by the President and the Chief Minister.