Rourkela: The Department of ST & SC Development, Minorities, and Backward Classes Welfare (STSCD-BLD) has asked the Sundargarh district administration to find a suitable place for the construction of a grand memorial in honour of Bhagwan Birsa Munda in the district to commemorate the birth anniversary of the legendary freedom fighter. The foundation stone for the memorial is scheduled to be laid in Rourkela November 15 this year. In a letter to District Collector Manoj Satyawan Mahajan October 9, Principal Secretary, STSCD-BLD Bishnupad Sethi, said that the memorial shall include a 150-high statue of Bhagawan Birsa Munda, an interpretation centre, a convention centre, souvenir shop, cafeteria and green lawns. “The foundation stone for the above shall be laid at a state-level function on 15th of November, 2024 at Rourkela. Therefore, you are required to identify suitable land for all the above preferably in a scenic backdrop to make it a state-of-the-art monument,” Sethi’s letter, addressed to the Collector, read. Former Engineer-In-Chief (EIC) of Works department, Jagannath Patel, who has been appointed as the technical consultant for the project, would soon visit the district for discussions with the district administration and prepare a preliminary report.
Meanwhile, reliable sources in the district BJP said that the district administration officials recently visited a couple of spots for the mega project before zeroing in on patch of land belonging to the government-owned Kuanrmunda Dairy Farm. The Farm stands on more than 200 acres of land parcel. A water treatment plant of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation department has come up on about 20 acres. Besides, another 20-25 acres of land had been allotted to a private sponge iron unit by the previous government.
Recently, more than 60 acres were surrendered to the government. Following the allotment of land to the private company by the previous government, Sanjib Pratap Singhdeo, heir of the erstwhile Kuanrmunda Zamindar family, and Manoj Satapathy, a social activist, had moved to court challenging the government decision. They also wrote to the President of India in this regard. Speaking to OrissaPOST, Singhdeo said, “A letter has been dispatched from the President’s office to the Chief Secretary directing an inquiry. We are hopeful that soon some decisions will be taken in this regard,”
RAJESH MOHANTY, OP