Bhubaneswar, Feb. 16: The state government plans to celebrate Biju Patnaik’s centenary in a big way, focusing in particular on the former chief minister’s love for technology in an attempt to perpetuate his legacy.
It will set up statues of Biju in government engineering colleges and a chair in his name in the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Burla.
According to the plan, a giant statue of Biju will come up on the campus of Biju Patnaik University of Technology in Rourkela and another huge statue of the late chief minister at the Institute for Training Trainer at Talcher. The institute will be named after the legendary leader.
The government will select sites for installing Biju’s statues at several places across the state. Officials have been issued necessary directives in this regard, sources said.
In another development, a 18-feet bronze statue of the leader was installed at Biju Patnaik International Airport three days ahead of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the state on February 6. It will be unveiled on Biju’s birthday on March 5. “An attempt will be made to showcase the Biju’s flamboyance and adventurism,” said a senior government official.
These decisions were taken at a meeting chaired by the skill development and technical education minister Sanjay Das Burma at the state secretariat today.
Biju Patnaik was born on March 5, 1916 to Laxminaryan and Ashalatya Patnaik and known for his love for aeroplanes. Even a prototype of his Dakota aeroplane has been placed at Biju Patnaik’s airport. Keeping Biju babu’s love for adventurism, the state government plans to start a BTech course on aeronautical engineering at College of Engineering and Technology, Bhubaneswar.
The state government has also decided to set up a chair in the name of Biju Patnaik at the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT), formerly known as the University College of Engineering, Burla, It will be made a centre of excellence of IT. In order to promote science and scientific temper, Biju had instituted the coveted Unesco-Kalinga award, which is still quite popular.
In another move, the state government has also decided to take over the Biju Patnaik Film and Television Institute of Odisha, Cuttack. The Institute was established in 1998 as an autonomous body. But, it is passing through a hard time. “We have planned to merge the institute with the Kalinga Studio,” said official.
Keeping Biju’s affinity to Kendrapara district in mind, the state government plans to upgrade the ITI in the district to the status of an engineering school. “We have plans to create a Biju Patnaik Innovation Fund with a corpus funds of Rs 10 crore. It will help the youngsters pursue their dreams,” officials said.
While efforts would be made to highlight Biju’s love for technology, various wings of the culture department such as the Lalit Kala Academy, Odisha Sahitya Academy, Sangeet Natak Academy and the Odissi Research Centre will organise a number of events to commemorate the Biju Patnaik birth centenary. Quiz competition, art competitions and a national-level memorial lecture will also be organised.
In yet another development, the BJD is upset as the Centre has not accepted its demand for conferring the Bharat Ratna on the great leader.
