After two years of search for a suitable piece of land, construction of the Freedom Fighters’ Memorial Museum has finally started at Gouri Sankar Sahani Park here.
The park, spread over 1.28 acres of land, is being developed by the Sambalpur Development Authority (SDA) along the Ring Road. Besides the museum, a library and an open air auditorium with a gallery to accommodate 200 people will come up in the park.
The Road and Building (R&B) Department has been entrusted the construction work while Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) has sanctioned Rs 1.05 crore for the purpose.
Executive Engineer of R&B Department Sanjaya Sahu said the Museum will be housed in a double-storey building while proposal for a library and open air auditorium would be moved.
Home to freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai, who had launched a rebellion against the Britishers ahead of the First War of Independence in 1857, a museum dedicated to the freedom fighters and freedom movement in the district was a long pending demand.
Moreover, the museum will give a new lease of life to the park which is lying in a shambles due to lack of maintenance.
SDA Chairman Bijay Mohanty said the SDA had already invited expression of interest from architects for beautification of the park. Disclosing that three firms have been short-listed and asked to make presentation on their designs, he hoped that the museum would add attraction to the park located on way to Samaleswari temple.