JAGATSINGHPUR: A day before Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to the district, locals and intellectuals on Sunday demanded to rename the Sanskruti Bhawan after Adikabi Sarala Das.
While several works including installation of 500 chairs and construction of balcony in the Bhawan are yet to be completed, they resented the decision of the district administration to inaugurate the Bhawan during the visit of the Chief Minister.
They alleged that despite several requests to the administration and the State Government, the Culture Department failed to fulfil their demands.
Sources said the district administration had constructed the Bhawan at the district headquarters town at an estimated cost of ` two crore to organise public meetings and district-level cultural programmes. The facility also houses a public library and a museum.
Vice-president of Jagatsinghpur Sanskrutik Parishad Mahendra Kumar Acharya said earlier, the organisation had proposed to the administration and State Government to rename the Bhawan after legendary Odia poet Sarala Das who took birth at Kanakpur in the district.
Das was the only litterateur to have successfully translated the Mahabharata written by Ved Vyasa, he added.
Similar views were also expressed by president of Saraswat Parishad Himansu Acharya, poet Pitmaber Tarai and Chaudhury Barada Prasanna Das.
District Culture Officer Arabinda Jena said no information has been received from the Government in renaming the Bhawan after Sarala Das.
On Monday, the Chief Minister is scheduled to visit the district to inaugurate different infrastructures like Sanskruti Bhavan and administrative block of DIET and lay foundation stones for construction of Adarsa Vidyalaya at Salijanga, bridge at Biluakha, District Employment Exchange office and skill development training centre at Tirtol. Later, he will address public at Nabakrushna Choudhury stadium.