​​​​​​​Bhubaneswar, December 24: The Odisha State Cabinet on Wednesday approved the ‘Baraputra Aitihya Gram Yojana’.

The scheme aims at preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of Odisha by developing the birth places of eminent personalities into heritage sites.

The scheme will focus on Freedom Fighters, Poets, Litterateurs, Educationists, Social Reformers, and other notable individuals who have contributed significantly to Odisha’s social, cultural, and literary ethos.

Accordingly, residential houses of the Baraputras will be transformed as heritage museums creating Interpretation Centers, Libraries, Conference Halls, Open-Air Theatres, and Children’s Parks with establishing statues and memorials to commemorate the Baraputras.

Similarly, dedicated outlets will be set up for locally renowned cuisine, handicrafts, and handloom products with organizing seminars, discussions, and cultural programs to promote Baraputras’ ideas and values.

In the first phase, 25 eminent sons of Odisha and their cradles have been identified for development, with financial assistance of up to Rs 15 crore per birth place. The total estimated expenditure for Phase I is Rs 345 crore, said the Chief Secretary Manoj Ahuja while briefing the media personnel.