Dancers from Triveni Kala Kendra perform Odissi at the Utkal Divas celebrations at Sakchi. Picture by Srinivas

Jamshedpur, April 1: In an attempt to restore and preserve cultural and literary heritage of Orissa in Jharkhand, city-based Utkal Association has decided to bring all the social and cultural organisations of the Oriya community of the state on a common platform.

Tara Chand Mohanty, general-secretary of Utkal Association, said, the decision, taken today at a meeting on the occasion of Utkal Divas, would foster closer relationship among members of the community.

It is essential to unite more than 50 various cultural and social organisations of the Oriya community in Jharkhand, which are fighting separately for the same rights, he said.

?Utkal Association will grant affiliation to various organisations and bring them under one umbrella. In the first phase, the city-based organisations will be targeted and slowly the entire state will be covered,? Mohanty said.

Earlier, Utkal Divas was celebrated amid cultural extragavanza at the premises of Utkal Association. Dance troupe Triveni Kala Kendra from Orissa presented a colourful performance, which left the audience spellbound.

Inaugurating the programme, Damodar Rout, Orissa culture and punchayati raj minister, lauded the role of the association to spread cultural heritage of Orissa in the steel city. He also pointed out the community?s possible unity.

Rout assured that his government is ready to lend every possible support for promotion of cultural and education activities in Jharkhand.

The minister said the state government would lend financial help to Oriya medium schools in Jharkhand to develop infrastructure. He emphasised on academic improvement, too.