File picture of Lakshminath Bezbaruah’s house at Sambalpur in Orissa

Guwahati, Feb. 11: “Sahityarathi” Lakshminath Bezbaruah’s house at Sambalpur in Orissa, where he spent several years of his life and penned many a gem as the editor of the Assamese magazine Bahi, will soon be turned into a museum.

The project, which aims to preserve the memories of Assam’s literary icon for posterity, has been under the state government’s consideration for the past few months.

Cultural affairs minister Bharat Chandra Narah today said the government had decided to convert the house into a museum where things related to his life and work would be showcased. His department has earmarked Rs 1 crore for the project, which will include renovation of the house, which has been lying in a dilapidated condition for a long time.

“For this purpose, a trust in the name of Lakshminath Bezbaruah will be created,” Narah said. “The state cabinet will approve the project in its next meeting likely to be held within a couple of weeks,” he added.

The 12-room house at Nelson Mandela Square on the bank of the Mahanadi was built by Bezbaruah with his savings when he shifted to Sambalpur to supervise his family business of railway sleepers. Of the two decades Bezbaruah lived in Sambalpur, 1917 to 1937, he stayed in that house from 1924 till August 18, 1937 — the day he left for Dibrugarh. He gifted the house to his eldest daughter, Aruna Mukherjee, in 1934.

It was from here that the doyen of Assamese literature edited Bahi, which was published from Calcutta, and wrote short stories on the social fabric and indigenous communities of Orissa.

An oil portrait of the writer unveiled in 1968 to commemorate his birth centenary adorns the Sambalpur Municipal Council hall.

Born in 1868, Bezbaruah enriched Assamese literature with his essays, plays, fiction and poetry. He is popularly known as Roxoraj or the king of humour for his satirical writings.

Narah said the director of cultural affairs department, S.P. Kakoti Bora, had visited Sambalpur last year and was liaising with the Orissa government on this matter. The minister also announced that journalist M.J. Akbar and Gandhian Hem Bharali will be conferred with the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Award for 2008 and 2009 respectively. Educationist and social worker Ambika Charan Choudhury will be awarded the Bir Chilarai Award for 2008, actor Biju Phukan with Bhabendra Nath Saikia Award for 2009 and poet Ajit Baruah with Ganesh Gogoi Award for 2010.

He also announced that the state government would purchase books worth Rs 15 crore every year for the government libraries in the state. “This decision was taken based on a suggestion by the Asam Sahitya Sabha,” Narah said.

The government will also install a statue of British missionary Miles Bronson at Sivasagar to acknowledge his contributions towards making Assamese the official language in pre-Independence Assam.

Besides, it will set up Bir Chilarai Stadium and Cultural Complex at Bongaigaon, Sri Sri Madhabdeb Cultural Complexes at Narayanpur and Bihpuria, Sri Sri Aniruddha Deb Cultural Complex at Tinsukia, Sati Sadhani Cultural Complex at Golaghat, Sati Radhika Cultural Complex at Batadrawa, Sati Joymati Cultural Complex at Jerenga Pathar in Sivasagar, Jonki Panoi Cultural Complex at Lakhimpur and late Sarat Chandra Sinha Cultural Complex at Chapor in Dhubri.

“The government will make films on the lives of Bir Chilarai and Lachit Borphukan at a cost of Rs 1 crore and Rs 50 lakh respectively. An amount of Rs 2 crore has been earmarked in the state budget to provide subsidy to Assamese filmmakers in a bid to revive the Assamese film industry,” Narah said.

He also said the government would create an artistes’ welfare fund with an initial amount of Rs 1 crore to help local artistes who are in distress.