Schools In Odisha To Remain Open On March 5 As Panchayat Raj Diwas Shifted To Apr 24

Bhubaneswar: All government and aided schools in Odisha will remain open on March 5 (Wednesday), it was officially declared on Tuesday.

The School and Mass Education Department has issued a circular in this regard. The directive has been communicated in a letter to all District Education Officers (DEOs). The instruction applies to all schools functioning under the department.

The move comes a day after the state government announced that the Panchayati Raj Diwas would be observed in the state on April 24, instead of March 5, which is the birth anniversary of former chief minister Biju Patnaik.

The change aligns Odisha’s observance of the event with the National Panchayati Raj Day, which is observed across the country on April 24.

Earlier, the previous Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government had designated March 5 as the Panchayati Raj Diwas coinciding with the birth anniversary of Biju Patnaik. The day was also declared a public holiday.

As per the new decision, March 5 will no longer be a Public Holiday, and schools will function as usual on that day.