Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday announced that the World Odia Language Conference will be organised every five years. At the valedictory function of the three-day First World Odia Language Conference here, he said the event will be etched as a milestone in the history of the language.
He urged participants to come together once every five years to exchange ideas and take the language forward. He thanked the students, writers, researchers, linguists, and poets who participated in the conference and said that various aspects of the Odia language were discussed, and some good proposals have also come up. Patnaik said since the assembly is in session now, he will announce some decisions taken about the Odia language in the House. The chief minister appealed to everyone to take a pledge to create new words to strengthen the Odia dictionary. Emphasising the impact of technology on language, he said that scientific inventions, technological advancement, and computer language were the major challenges before the Odia language.
Therefore, there is a need to take steps for the integration of the Odia language with these, he opined. On the occasion, Patnaik launched three books: ‘Shree Jagannatha: Lord of The Universe’, ‘Odia: Journey of a Language’, and ‘Magical Tales From Odisha’. On the concluding day of the event, Speaker Pramila Mallik, ministers, and MLAs visited the conference aboard a special bus from the assembly. They visited the museum, exhibition mobile libraries, and other displays set up at the venue, Janata Maidan. The walk-through museum will remain open for visitors for another three days, Patnaik said.