BHUBANESWAR:‘Bande Utkal Janani’, inspiring the people of Odisha since ages, was accorded the State Song status on Sunday.
A proposal to this effect was approved at the meeting of the Cabinet presided over by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik here.
The meeting was held through video conference. Announcing the decision, parliamentary affairs minister Bikram Keshari Arukh said that with this a long-standing demand of the people of Odisha has been fulfilled. The song penned by Kantakabi Laxmikanta Mohapatra underlies the spirit of indomitable Odisha, he said.
According to the resolution passed at the meeting, the song will be sung at all government programmes, sessions of the Odisha assembly, functions in the schools, colleges and universities and cultural functions. All present during the recital of the song will have to stand. However, elderly, ill, disabled
persons, pregnant women and children have been exempted from this requirement.
At the call given by the Chief Minister, Odias around the world had sang the song at 5.30 pm on May 30 to express their gratitude to the frontline workers
spearheading the fight against coronavirus. 'Bande Utkal Janani' is now recited at the end of every assembly session.