Bhubaneswar, March 4: In response to significant criticism from the opposition BJD over the Odisha government's decision to separate Biju Patnaik's birth anniversary from Panchayatiraj Day, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has extended an invitation to Leader of Opposition, Naveen Patnaik, to attend a state-level event celebrating the birthday of the iconic leader.
The state government is preparing for a grand commemoration of Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary on March 5.
Chief Minister Majhi has invited Naveen Patnaik, the son of the late former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik, to attend the event as the chief guest. The ceremony will take place at 7 pm tomorrow at Jayadev Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.
In the midst of this, the Majhi-led government has also announced the cancellation of the public holiday previously observed on March 5. The birth anniversary of Biju Patnaik will no longer coincide with the celebration of Panchayatiraj Divas. As a result, government and government-aided schools across Odisha will remain open on March 5, following a circular issued by the School & Mass Education (S&ME) department on Tuesday.
The directive has been communicated to all District Education Officers (DEOs) statewide.
Historically, March 5 was recognized as a public holiday in Odisha to mark Panchayati Raj Dibas, in honor of Biju Patnaik's birth anniversary. However, the Odisha government has now decided to shift the observance of Panchayati Raj Dibas to April 24, aligning it with the national observance of the day. Nationally, Panchayati Raj Dibas is observed on April 24 to commemorate the anniversary of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which established the Panchayati Raj system in India.
