Bhubaneswar: On the auspicious occasion of Akshay Tritiya, BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday inaugurated the office of ruling party, aptly named Sankha Bhavan, at Unit-6 area in Odisha capital.
Sankha (conch) is BJD’s election symbol.
Dedicating the building to its 4.5 crore denizens, the CM said that Sankha Bhawan will be a confluence point for all those striving for development of the state and protecting it dignity while building a new and empowered Odisha. “This will unite 4.5 crore people of the state. All the programmes of Shankha Bhawan will be dedicated to people of Odisha and aimed at protecting the interest of the state.”
He further said that 1997 heralded a new era in Odisha politics with the formation of BJD by following the principles of legendary Biju Patnaik. The party, which served the people of Odisha, has now been transformed into a social movement, he added.
Naveen said that Shankha Bhavan will not only be the centre of social, economic, cultural, and political progress, but also spiritual growth rooted in the principle of Jagannath culture. “It will continue to spread Jagannath culture across the globe while sending out the message of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.”
He attributed BJD’s success to consistency and peaceful disposition. “Righteousness has led to joy and peace to prosperity ,” he said, spelling out the success mantra of the party.
The BJD has been in power in Odisha for almost 24 years with Naveen as one of the longest-serving CMs.
THE BUILDING
A big conch with portraits of the sibling deities adorns the exterior of the new office, which showcases Odisha’s rich art and culture. There is a conference hall on the first floor of the building, which can accommodate 2000 people, a 250-seat huge auditorium and a canteen. It also has a press conference hall with enough space for mediapersons.
The halls have been named after stalwarts like Utkalamani Gopabandhu, Utkalagouraba Madhusudhan Das, 5th-century poet and scholar of Odia literature Sarala Das, Veer Surendra Sai, Buxi Jagabandhu, Bhima Bhoi, Kabi Samrat Upendra Bhanja, Gajapati Maharaja Krushna Chandra Dev, Saheed Laxman Naik, Pandit Raghunath Murmu, Rama Devi and Baji Rout, among others.
The Talisman of Mahatma Gandhi have also been kept in the building along with famous artefacts of 30 districts of the state.
The top brass in the party will have their personal space for office inside the building on second floor. Thirty rooms have been constructed for this purpose. The IT Cell will also operate from this floor.
Party president Naveen Patnaik will have his office on the third floor.
Shankha Bhawan has a large parking space under its basement on which the 3-storey building has been constructed, sources said.
The foundation stone for the renovation of the BJD party office was laid during Ratha Yatra in 2021.
