The Odisha Sanskrutik Samaj office in Sambalpur. Telegraph picture

Sambalpur, May 21: The city will shortly get a freedom fighter memorial hall and a museum. The Odisha Sanskrutik Samaj, a socio-cultural organisation, has decided to implement the project.

The memorial hall and the museum will be built on the premises of the Odisha Sanskrutik Samaj office, located along Lajpat Rai Law College Road. The project’s estimated budget will be around Rs 75 lakh. It will be carried out in two phases. Around Rs 39 lakh will be spent in the first phase and Rs 35 lakh in the second phase. The two-storey building for the memorial hall and the museum will be built on 3,600sqft.

President of the organisation Prafulla Kumar Hota said: “The memorial hall will house portraits of the freedom fighters of western Odisha. We will also try to preserve their used items in the proposed museum. The ornaments of western Odisha, which are on the verge of extinction now, and the tie-dye of this region will also be kept in the museum.”

“The project work will begin within 10 days. The Western Odisha Development Council has granted funds for it. The Sambalpur MP has also granted chipped in with some funds for the project from his MPLAD fund. The first phase of the project is expected to be over in one year,” said Hota.

The samaj, which was established in 1970, is a social organisation of western Odishsa. It has published two books on the legendary personalities of western Odisha. Besides, it observes birth anniversaries of the freedom fighters and the martyrs of this region. It has been fighting for installation of statue of Veer Surendra Sai on the premises of Parliament.

“It is a welcome move. Sambalpur and western Odisha have a special place in the freedom movement. However, no effort has been made to preserve the items used by the freedom fighters. I am really happy over the organisation’s initiative. Once it is established, the new generation will get to know about the freedom fighters from the museum,” said Deepak Panda, a local resident.