Bhubaneswar: Bhubaneswar will host the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in January next year. Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has approved a proposal of the Ministry of External Affairs in this regard.
Following the chief minister’s approval, Odisha Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja held a meeting on the preparation for the event with high-level officers in Bhubaneswar on Saturday. The biennial conference of Overseas Indian Community will be held at the Janata Maidan in the city from January 8 to 10.
Development Commissioner Anu Garg, Additional Chief Secretary, Home Department Satyabrata Sahu and other senior officials were present at the meeting.
It was revealed at the meeting that around 5,000 delegates will attend the conference. President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union Ministers and Odisha Chief Minister are also scheduled to attend the event.
Earlier, a five-member delegation of the External Affairs Ministry had visited the city and the location in September to take stock of the ground level condition for the conference. They had also held meetings with the chief secretary and high officials of the departments concerned.
It may be noted that the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas has been held since 2003 to mark the contribution of overseas Indian community to the development of the country. The day marks the arrival of Mahatma Gandhi in India from South Africa on January 9, 1915.
