Odisha govt to install 75 statues of reformers, poets, freedom fighters, and visionaries across districts by 2026, honoring state’s rich heritage
OdishaPlus Bureau
On Thursday, the government of Odisha announced its intention to erect statues of 75 distinguished individuals throughout the state. A budget of Rs 14 crore has been allocated for the construction and installation of these statues, with the objective of completing the project by the end of the following year. The Department of Odia Language, Literature, and Culture will manage the initiative, which seeks to honor Odisha’s rich heritage of reformers, poets, freedom fighters, and visionaries, according to a government statement.
The statues will be strategically placed across various districts, each commemorating figures of both regional and national importance. In Puri, a statue of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee will be erected. Statues of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee (Koraput), Rendo Majhi (Kalahandi), B.R. Ambedkar (Angul), Lakshmanananda Saraswati (Sambalpur), who was tragically assassinated in Kandhamal in 2008, Santali author Raghunath Murmu, and Deendayal Upadhyay (Mayurbhanj), among others, are also planned for various locations across the state.