Assam: Rs 50 lakh to preserve for state litterateur’s house in Odisha
GUWAHATI, June 30, 2018: Government of Assam on Friday had sanctioned the release of Rs 50 lakh to preserve litterateur Lakshminath Bezbaroa's house at Sambalpur in Odisha.
A statement issued by Dispur said chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday gave his assent to the state government's efforts to preserve the house. Most of the immortal literary works penned by the literary icon of Assam was written in the Sambalpur house.
Dispur has apprised the Odisha government of its willingness to bear any additional expenditure for the preservation of the heritage house, the statement said.
In October last year, Assam cultural affairs minister Naba Kumar Doley and chief minister's media adviser Hrishikesh Goswami had visited Odisha with a letter from Sonowal and had met chief minister Naveen Patnaik and cultural affairs minister Ashok Kumar Panda over preservation of the house. The Assam delegation had also signed an agreement with the Sambalpur deputy commissioner.
Sonowal had also talked to Patnaik over phone and sought the Odisha government's support to preserve the house.
Sources in Dispur said in view of Sonowal's requests and the emotions of the people of Assam regarding the house, the Odisha government had agreed to preserve it.
The statement said the proposal to acquire the house of another icon, Bhupen Hazarika, at Tollygunge in Calcutta, will be introduced in the next cabinet meeting.
Dispur has already signed an agreement with Sushil Kumar Dangi, the present owner of the house.
Source: The Telegraph
Featured image: Odisha Sun Times
