Will Take Up Revival Of Kalinga Studio With I&B Ministry: Dharmendra

Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader and Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said he will take up the matter related to the revival of the defunct Kalinga Studio with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry very soon.

“I will have a discussion with I&B minister Smriti Irani and request her to provide financial assistance for infrastructure development of the Kalinga Studio with state-of-the-art technology,” Dharmendra tweeted.

Stating that the Kalinga Studio is innately associated with the sentiments of the Odia artistes, he said the development of the studio will improve their livelihood.

Reacting to the tweet, Industries minister Ananta Das said why the Union minister had remained silent on the matter for so many days. “The land allotted to the Kalinga Studio belongs to the General Administration. The chief minister will take a final call on this matter,” he added.

Notably, the Ollywood fraternity has vehemently opposed the proposal of the Sports and Youth Affairs department for construction of a sports complex inside the Kalinga Studio premises, on the outskirts of the Odisha capital.

Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs, Vishal Dev, in a letter to the General Administration department, has proposed construction of a sports complex inside the vacant premises of the Kalinga Studio.