Bhubaneswar, March 3 The Odisha government announced on Monday that the annual Panchayati Raj Diwas will now be celebrated in the state on April 24, instead of March 5, which marks the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.
It is pertinent here to mention that the National Panchayati Raj Day, is being celebrated annually by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj on April 24 to commemorate the 73rd Amendment Act, 1992 of the Constitution that came into effect in 1993.
The country celebrates the national local self-governance and democratic decentralisation on April 24 every year.
As per a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Office, the decision to reschedule the Panchayati Raj Diwas from March 5 to April 24 has been taken to align with the National Panchayati Raj Day. The move aims to bring uniformity between state and national-level celebrations.
“To get rid of the inconsistency in the celebration of Panchayati Raj Day at the national and state levels, the state government has decided to observe it on April 24 from now onwards instead of March 5. The state will also observe Lok Seva Diwas on the same day, April 24. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has approved a proposal in this regard,” reads the CMO statement.
Previously, the birth anniversary of the legendary Biju Patnaik on March 5 was observed as Panchayati Raj Diwas every year in Odisha.
However, at the national level, April 24 is designated for recognising the contributions of panchayat representatives, with awards such as the Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Puraskar and the Mahatma Gandhi National Employment Guarantee Scheme Awards being presented on this occasion.
The state government also announced that the birth anniversary of legendary leader Biju Patnaik on March 5 will be celebrated with pomp and show across the state. However, it has also been clarified that the day will not be observed as a public holiday.
The announcement came hours after the opposition Biju Janata Dal raised objections over the lack of preparations on part of the state government for the celebration of Panchayati Raj Diwas on March 5.
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