By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Rallies, debates, workshops and various educational and cultural programmes were organised across Odisha Monday to celebrate the state’s 77th foundation day, officials said.
Utkal Divas is celebrated April 1 every year to mark the formation of Odisha state, which was carved out of the combined Bengal-Bihar-Orissa province in 1936.
Important government buildings including the secretariat and assembly here were illuminated with colourful lights.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated a museum at Cuttack, about 26 km from here.
The Odisha Maritime Museum has been built at an investment of Rs.10 crore and is spread over an area of about six acres. It showcases the state’s rich maritime history, a state government official said.
The government also launched a community policing unit in Cuttack on a pilot basis.
In Berhampur town, locals organised a rally to mark the day.
Leaders of the Congress party, Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and members of various non-political organisations like Utkal Sammilani paid tributes to legendary leaders from the state, including Gopabandhu Das, Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati and Madhusudan Das on the occasion, according to offcials.
Besides a special show in Bhubaneswar, cultural programmes, seminars and competitions were organised across the state.