Bhubaneswar: The famous panchasakha (five friends), whose contribution to Odia literature and the freedom struggle are well established in the 19th century, have received the attention of the state government.

The government has provided special funds to renovate Bakula Bana, once a symbol of pride for the Odias. The five friends - Gopabandhu Das, Krupasindhu Mishra, Harihar Das, Pandit Mishra and Nilakantha Das - had set up the first model open school called Bakula Bana in the state at Sakhigopal, about 50km from here. They had dedicated their youth to developing the institute, which had a defining role in reviving education in the state in the pre-Independence era.

The Bakula Bana caught the attention of the people in January last year when goons had stolen the bronze bust statues of Harihar Das and Godavarish Mishra from there.

In this year's annual budget that was presented in the Assembly on Friday, the government has made provisions for development of the Bakula Bana. Several programmes - renovation of the park, setting up of a tourism interpretation centre, rest shed for visitors and construction of a pathway - are being envisaged in the budgetary proposals.

Local MLA Umakanta Samantaray said the government had asked finance, tourism, school and mass education departments and the district administration to chalk out a detailed plan for the development of the heritage site.