Puri: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday dedicated the renovated memorial of Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das at his birthplace Suando in Puri district.
The Chief Minister unveiled the newly installed 15-foot statue of Gopabandhu Das and the museum. He also inaugurated the developed Shiva temple, pond, museum and ancestral home in Suando.
Along with this, circular road to the memorial and an information center have also been constructed.
Addressing the people on the occasion, the Chief Minister said that Gopabandhu Das was a legend. The people of Odisha are always indebted to him. No matter what is done to protect his memory, it will be less, the CM said.
The Chief Minister said that the State Government has decided to develop birth places for the great sons of Odisha under 5T initiatives.
He said that the sacrifices of Utkal Gourav Madhusudan Das, Fakir Mohan Senapati, Gangadhar Meher, Shaheed Laxman Naik and many more heroes have enhanced the glory of Odisha.
Paying tributes to Gopabandhu Das, the Chief Minister said that Utkalmani was the gem of human society. His sacrifice, patriotism and service are unparalleled. Starting from the freedom struggle, Odisha’s education, literary culture, politics, service and humanity have been established.
Gopabandhu Das was a pioneer in the development of nationalist consciousness in Odisha. He has always been and always will be an inspiration to us, Naveen said.
Dhirendra Kumar Das, the grandson of Gopbandhu, attended the programme and thanked the Chief Minister for transforming Utkalmani’s birthplace. He said that this will encourage the people to follow the path of great sons in the state.
The Chief Minister thanked Utkalmani’s family and the people of Suando for their support in the development of Gopabandhu’s birthplace. He also thanked the state culture department and the Puri district administration.
Puri MP Pinaki Misra, Odia Language Literature & Culture Minister Aswini Kumar Patra, Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera, School and Mass Education Minister Samir Ranjan Dash attended the programme.
Secretary to CM (5T) VK Pandian, Puri Collector Samarth Verma and others were also present on the occasion.
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