Six Odias in central committee to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and five others from Odisha are in a central government led committee constituted to commemorate 75 years of India’s Independence.

The other five dignitaries are Andhra Pradesh Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan, Jharkhand Governor Draupadi Murmu, Union Petroleum & Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Pramod Kumar Mishra and sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo.

These six personalities have been included in the committee comprising 259 members and the committee is headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The committee has former president Pratibha Patil, Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, 28 chief ministers, union ministers, several governors, artistes like Lata Mangeshkar, AR Rahman, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, senior BJP leader LK Advani and eminent citizens from all walks of life as its members.

Besides, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati have also been included in the committee.

According to the statement released Saturday by the Union Ministry of Culture, the committee will provide policy direction and guidelines for the formulation of programmes for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Indian Independence, at national and international levels.

The committee will meet March 8, 2021 to discuss modalities with respect to the preparatory activities for the celebrations. The celebrations are proposed to be launched March 12, 2021, 75 weeks prior to August 15, 2022. March 12 has been chosen to begin the celebrations for it marking the 91^st anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s historic Salt Satyagraha.

Notably, a National Implementation Committee under the chairmanship of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and a committee of secretaries have also been constituted for the commemoration of 75 years of Independence Day celebrations.

PNN