BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to organise a number of programmes for the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi which will be celebrated for two years from October 2 this year.
A decision to this effect was taken at a high level meeting presided by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here on Tuesday. Stating that he has proposed to include ‘Ahimsa’ in the Preamble of the Constitution, the Chief Minister said Independence was not the only aim of Mahatma Gandhi. “His (Gandhiji’s) prime objective was to develop the fundamental values in Indian society. Gandhiji believed in truth and non-violence and these two mantras have become more relevant in present day society,” Naveen said.
The meeting decided to set up five sub-committees for celebration of the anniversary in a grand manner. Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Ashok Chandra Panda said padyatras and memorial meets will be held across the State during the period. The anniversary would be celebrated in schools, colleges and universities, urban local bodies, blocks and gram panchayats, Panda said and added a new website will be opened to propagate the messages and life of Gandhiji. He said a function will be organised at Cuttack on March 23 to commemorate the visit of Mahatma Gandhi to Odisha.
Besides, statues of Mahatma Gandhi will be installed in all district headquarters as well as the places where he had visited while one major thoroughfare in the districts will be named as Mahatma Gandhi Marg. The meeting also decided to incorporate the ideals of Mahatma Gandhi in the Plus-II syllabus. Besides, the State Government will consider convening a special session of the Assembly in 2019.
During the two-year celebration, one Kasturba gram panchayat will be identified in each block. Leader of the Opposition Narasingha Mishra proposed that old age pension should be raised from `300 to at least `1,000 per month as elderly people even after 72 years of Independence face problem in arranging a square meal every day.