CUTTACK: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik flagged off Gopabandhu Jyoti Yatra from The Samaja office at Buxi Bazar, Cuttack in the evening. The jyoti was brought from Utkalmani’s birthplace at Suando in Puri district in the morning.
The yatra is being taken out in celebration of the 140th birth anniversary of Utkalamani Pandit Gopbandhu Das and 75th year of Mahatma Gandhi’s concept of Gram Swaraj or village self-rule.
Addressing the occasion, Naveen said Pandit Gopabandhu was not only the gem (Mani) of Utkal but also the priceless gem of mankind. His entire life was dedicated for the service of the poor. His institution ‘The Samaja’ is going to complete 100 years. He had built Samaja as a voluntary organisation which was the voice of common man.
Basing on Utkalamani’s ideology, the Samaja now has become a great institution. It has retained his ideology by serving the poor and distressed people, Naveen said.
The Chief Minister announced that the Government would provide `50 lakh for construction of Gopabandhu Bhawan in memory of Utkalamani at Berhampur and hoped that the Jyoti Yatra would succeed in developing dedication, service and patriotism among the youth.
Among others, Bhabani Charan Patnaik, Lok Sevak Mandal president Deepak Malviya, Bhimsen Yadav, Niranjan Rath and Bamapada Tripathy were present during the flagging off ceremony.
This is the fifth year of ‘Gopabandhu Jyoti Yatra’ which started on the birth anniversary of Utkalmani and will conclude in the State Capital on November 10 after travelling all 30 districts of Odisha.