Bhubaneswar, March 4: Preparations are on in full swing to observe the birth centenary of former chief minister Biju Patnaik on Saturday.

While all efforts are being made to project Biju Patnaik's contribution to the state, the BJD today raised the issue of conferring Bharat Ratna to the former chief minister.

BJD Rajya Sabha member and former captain of Indian Hockey Team Dillip Tirkey said: "It will be a great honour to Biju babu if the Bharat Ratna is conferred on him. A statue of the leader should also be installed on the premises of Parliament." Another BJD Lok Sabha member Baijayant Panda urged the Lok Sabha Speaker to install a Biju statue in the Parliament.

While the BJD will organise the centenary celebration meeting in the Baramunda ground the state government will hold the Panchayati Raj Divas function in the afternoon and a state-level function in the evening at Jaydev Bhavan. In the Panchayati Raj Divas, the government will showcase what it has done for the development of panchayats across the state. However, the BJP today said the government had failed to delegate all powers to panchayats.

Governor S.C. Jamir, who was scheduled to attend a meeting organised by BJD vice-president and excise minister Damodar Rout in Paradip on the occasion, cancelled his tour programme. Sources said the governor had cancelled his meeting following a public spat between Rout and some of his party colleagues over the function being organised by the Biju Memorial Trust. Jamir will attend the programme being organised by the government.

According to the scheduled programme, chief minister Naveen Patnaik will also unveil a Biju Patnaik statute near the Bhubaneswar airport. He will then inaugurate the entrepreneur's week programme to showcase Biju's achievements.

All senior leaders and convenors of the Biju Patnaik Centenary Committee today discussed the steps to make tomorrow's meeting a success.

Committee convenor Bed Parakash Agarawal said: "We will showcase Biju babu's contribution in various fields for the cause of Odisha."

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