First State-Level Project Management Committee Meeting Held for Baraputra Aitihya Gram Yojna

Culture Minister says the scheme will preserve the legacy of Odisha’s great personalities (Baraputra) and inspire the younger generation

Bhubaneswar, March, 2026 : The first meeting of the State-Level Project Management Committee constituted for the implementation of the Baraputra Aitihya Gram Yojna was held today. The meeting was chaired by Odia Language, Literature and Culture Minister Shri Suryabanshi Suraj at the conference hall of the Culture Department.

During the meeting, the Minister held discussions with district collectors of various districts through virtual mode regarding the effective implementation of the scheme.

Under the Baraputra Aitihya Gram Yojna, the ancestral houses of eminent personalities (Baraputras) will be developed into museums. Statues of the personalities will also be installed. In addition, facilities such as interpretation centres, libraries, conference halls open-air theatres will be created along with other supporting infrastructure.

To promote local livelihoods, sales centres for locally popular cuisine, handicrafts and handloom products will also be established. Various seminars, discussions, cultural programmes and events based on the lives and contributions of these eminent personalities will be organised to promote and disseminate their ideals and values.

In the first phase of the scheme, 25 eminent personalities (Baraputra) have been identified. An amount of up to Rs 15 crore will be spent for the development of each birthplace village. Altogether, a maximum of Rs 345 crore will be spent for the development of these 25 villages in the first phase.

The personalities included in the first phase are Shaheed Laxman Naik (Koraput), Acharya Harihar Das and Pandit Krupasindhu Mishra (Puri), Jayee Rajguru and Buxi Jagabandhu (Puri district), Pandit Nilakantha Das (Satyabadi), Laxmi Indira Panda (Koraput), Shaheed Rendo Majhi (Kalahandi), Maa Ramadevi and Karmaveer Gourishankar (Cuttack), Fakir Mohan Senapati (Balasore), Chakra Bisoi and Ramchandra Mardaraj Deo (Ganjam), Shaheed Baji Rout (Dhenkanal), Krushna Chandra Gajapati (Gajapati), Ramchandra Bhanjdeo and Pandit Raghunath Murmu (Mayurbhanj), Godabarish Mishra (Khordha), Veer Surendra Sai (Sambalpur), Gangadhar Meher and Shaheed Madho Singh (Bargarh), Laxmikanta Mahapatra and Dr Harekrushna Mahatab (Bhadrak), Biplabi Dharanidhar Bhuyan (Keonjhar) and Shaheed Dharam Singh Majhi Mandhata (Balangir).

The Minister directed the district collectors to identify 2–3 acres of land in the villages of these eminent personalities or in nearby areas and inform the Culture Department at the earliest.

He also emphasised that the opinions of family members, relatives and local residents should be given due importance in the development of the villages and other activities under the scheme. District collectors have been instructed to ensure proper management and maintenance of facilities such as museums, interpretation centres and libraries, as well as the promotion of local art and culture and participation of local communities.

The Minister further stressed that the villages included in the scheme should be developed as tourist destinations, creating new livelihood opportunities for local people through the promotion and sale of handicrafts and other traditional products. He also directed officials of different departments to ensure coordination and expedite the implementation of the scheme.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister Suryabanshi Suraj said, “The Baraputra Aitihya Gram Yojna will play a significant role in preserving and promoting the values and ideals of our great personalities. It will help the younger generation learn about their sacrifices and contributions and inspire them to follow their ideals. The scheme will also help in the wider promotion of our rich art and cultural traditions.”

The meeting was attended by Dr Bijay Ketan Upadhyay, Secretary of the Odia Language, Literature and Culture Department; Shri Dipankar Mahapatra, Director of Tourism Department; Shri Deba Prasad Dash, Special Secretary of the Culture Department; and senior officials from the Works Department, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, Planning and Convergence Department, Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts Department, and Odisha State Archaeology.

Amlan Das