New Delhi/Bhubaneswar: The row over observing Panchayati Raj Diwas celebration on April 24 instead of March 5, the birth anniversary of Biju Patnaik, in Odisha echoed in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.
Speaking on the issue, BJD MP Debashish Samantaray, demanded restoration of Panchayati Raj Diwas on Biju Jayanti. “….every year the government of Odisha prints a calendar and a diary in which March 5 is marked as a holiday and Panchayati Raj Diwas. March 5 is the birth anniversary of legendary Biju Patnaik. And suddenly in the first week of March, from nowhere, the state government declares April 24 as Panchayati Raj Diwas and March 5 is cancelled as a holiday. This is the respect being shown to the legendary freedom fighter, who is the creator of Panchayati Raj system. He is the one who reserved 33% for women in Panchyati Raj institutions,” he asserted.
The MP also mentioned the beheading of Biju Patnaik statue at Mahanga in Cuttack district on the same day this year. “And a BJP MLA says that the name of Biju Patnaik International Airport should be changed. What kind of politics is this? March 5 should be restored as Panchayati Raj Diwas and declared a state holiday,” he added.
On March 4, the Mohan Majhi government approved a proposal to celebrate the Panchayati Raj Diwas on April 24 instead of March 5 in alignment with the national observance. Opposition BJD and Congress were united in their protest against the decision, with the former terming it an attempt to erase the legacy of Biju Patnaik.
Odisha has been observing the day on March 5 for the last three decades.
On March 7, the Odisha Assembly also witnessed uproarious scenes as BJD MLAs trooped into the well in protest against the government’s move to “erase Biju Patnaik’s legacy, as the House reconvened for the second phase of the budget session.
