The Forum for Ganjam, a city-based civil society body, on Tuesday urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to recommend to the Centre to add Brahmapur in its Smart City programme. The forum has submitted memorandums to the Chief Minister and the State Housing and Urban Development Minister through the Southern Division RDC.
The forum said the city, one of the oldest municipalities of India, is the commercial capital of south Odisha and has a rich business culture. The first publishing house of books of the State had been started its business from here only. The first newspaper named The Dainik Asha was published from Brahmapur, the forum said.
Forum member Prof Pramod Kumar Sahu said the city has a great weaving culture and famous for its Brahmapuri Patto (silk). The city has a great history as the unification movement of the State had been launched from here. Due to the sacrifices made by the great personalities like Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati and Rama Chandra Mardaraj Deo, the present separate Odisha was formed in 1936, he added.
The forum said the city is rich in culture and literature. It is surrounded by famous tourist places like Taratarini, rare hotspring Taptapani, the Ashokan rock edict at Jaugarh and Buddha Khol, the largest saline water lake Chilika and the bird sanctuary, sweet water lake Tampara, the wonderful international sea beach Gopalpur-on-sea, it added.
With its salubrious climate, forum chairman Sudhir Rout said, Brahmapur is adjudged as the city with best climate for almost a decade as per the meteorological survey report. Besides, the city exhibits quintessential cosmopolitan character with the people of all languages and religions coexisting with perfect harmony. “So, we urge the Chief Minister to recommend to the Centre to adopt his own district’s big city in the list of Smart City,” said Rout.