Bhubaneswar: Taking another step towards setting up the first-ever Odia University for higher studies and research in Odia language and literature, the state government Friday decided to establish the institute at Satyabadi in Puri district.
This was decided at the first meeting of Heritage Cabinet constituted recently to spread and preserve history and culture of Odisha and enrich the Odia language further. The meeting, which was held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the Secretariat here, approved four proposals.
Briefing media persons about the decisions taken at the meeting, Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said the Cabinet had decided to set up Odia University at Satyabadi in Puri district as the place has historic significance. “The Satyabadi Bana Bidyalaya was there,” he said
The university will come up on 25 acres of land, he said, adding, “Very soon a delegation of senior level officials of the state government will visit the area to identify the plot of land.”
The proposed university will impart education at the post graduate level in Odia literature, Odia language linguistics, comparative literature, Odia criticism, antique, ancient record, evolution of east Indian language scripts, tribal language study, regional language study, epigraphy, archaeology and musicology, sources said.
Earlier, the government had proposed to set up the institute in Bhubaneswar.
In September 2017, the University of Odia Language and Literature Bill 2017 was passed in the state Assembly and gazette notification was issued, Padhi said. The Cabinet has also decided to formulate Odia Culture and Heritage Policy for preservation and proliferation of state’s art, culture and Odia language.
The Odia Language, Literature and Culture department has been asked to prepare the draft policy, Padhi said.
Similarly, the proposal to create a post of separate public library director has also been approved by the panel. “More than 600 public libraries are now functioning under various departments and civic bodies. To bring all such libraries in one fold, the Heritage Cabinet has decided to create the post of public library director under Odia Language, Literature and Culture department.”
The government has also decided to form a trust for smooth management of Ananda Bhawan Museum and Learning Centre, which was the birth place of former chief minister Biju Patnaik. A corpus fund will also be created for this purpose, the Chief Secretary said. The trust will also run under the Odia Language, Literature and Culture department.