CUTTACK: Union Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday stressed the need for all-round development of Cuttack to pave way for transformation of Odisha as a state.
Addressing a public gathering after inaugurating the Netaji Smaraki Pratisthan at Odia Bazar here, Pradhan said the 1,000-year-old city was considered the centre of Odia culture. “Cuttack city is the centre of our old civilisation. It belongs to 4.5 crore people of Odisha. Efforts should be made to transform the city of brotherhood into a modern city,” he said.
Highlighting that the city is considered as Odisha’s trade centre, Pradhan assured that efforts will be made by both the Centre and state government to celebrate Baliyatra as an international festival.
“The city also needs an auditorium with capacity to accommodate 5,000 to 7,000 people. Besides, two more bridges should be constructed on Kathajodi river to minimise the distance between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. A new barrage should be constructed on Mahanadi river to facilitate supply of water round the year,” he suggested.
Criticising Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra for asking whether the central government has any proposal for metro city project in Odisha, the Union minister counter-questioned as to how it was possible when the Odisha government had not sent any application for the same.
Earlier in the day, Pradhan took part in a roadshow during which he halted near an anganwadi centre at Meria Bazar and enquired from the women present there whether they had registered their names for Subhadra Yojana. He advised them to properly utilise the financial assistance under the scheme to make themselves self-reliant.
Later, he garlanded the statue of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose at his birthplace in Odia Bazar and unveiled the statue of Buxi Jagabandhu at Buxi Bazar. Pradhan also inaugurated the Khannagar gas crematorim and Art Gallery at Town Hall in the presence of Housing and Urban Development minister Dr Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, on the occasion of Local Self-Governance Day observed by Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC).
Among others, Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, Rajya Sabha MP Debasish Samantaray, collector Dattatraya Bhausaheb Shinde, mayor Subhas Singh and MLAs Sofia Firdous, Souvik Biswal and Prakash Sethi were present.