Bhubaneswar: The newly formed BJP Government has fulfilled the demand of senior Lawmaker from Western Odisha, Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, who has been demanding expansion of public holiday for Nuakhai festival. Shri Singh Deo is Lawmaker from Bolangir.
Shri Singh Deo has been raising this demand in different forums and also written letters to the Chief Minister for several years. Even very recently, he had written a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi in Sambalpuri language demanding a three days holiday for Nuakhai festival.
The State Government has moved steps to declare at least two-day Assembly holiday for ‘Nuakhai’, the most significant festival of Western Odisha. This year, the festival will be celebrated with pomp and gaiety on September 8, which is a Sunday.
The Assembly will remain closed on September 9 for the Nuakhai festival. So, the Assembly will function today to transact businesses scheduled for September 9, official sources said.
In its pre-schedule, the Assembly Secretariat had announced today as a holiday for the House as it is the fourth Saturday of this month. But, now, the House will function today and will remain closed on September 9.
With this holiday, the members will get a three days holiday from September 7 to 9 in view of Ganesh Puja and Nuakhai. Sources said, the government may also declare September 9 as public holiday for the Nuakhai festival,
Today, the demand discussion of Works and Rural Development Departments will be taken up.
Works Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan to move that “the Assembly do assent to a demand which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st March, 2025 of such sum as together with the expenditure already authorised in the Vote-on-Account will amount to Rs.11138.25 crore in respect of Expenditure relating to the Works department.
Similarly, Rural Development Minister Rabinarayan Naik to move that the Assembly do assent to a demand which will come in course of payment during the year ending the 31st March, 2025 of such sum as together with the expenditure already authorised in the Vote-on-Account will amount to Rs.9455.53 crore in respect of Expenditure relating to the RD Department.
In his letter to the CM, Shri Singh Deo had stated that the Nuakhai festival is not only celebrated within Odisha, it is also being celebrated by western Odisha people in other parts of the country and outside India.
The people of Western Odisha, who are residing anywhere, came to their native place to celebrate the festival each year by offering puja to God, parents, and ancestors. On the occasion, the newly harvested crops are offered to local deities in Devi shrines in the area and then people partake it as prasad.
Stating that this festival is the soul of 10 Western Odisha districts, Shri Singh Deo wrote the festival celebrated on Bhadraba Suklayapakhya Panchami Tithi (5th day of bright fortnight in Bhadraba month of Odia calendar),
However, he said, the state government has given only one day of holiday for the festival. For which, the Western Odisha people, residing in far places are facing difficulties to visit their native place to celebrate the festival with their near and dear ones.
For the interest of 2.5 crore people from Western Odisha, the royal scion had demanded for 3-day government holidays so that the people working in those institutions can go to their native places and celebrate Nuakhai with their families.