A full-length statue of freedom fighter and social worker Parvati Giri, popularly known as the Mother Teresa of western Odisha, has remained wrapped up in polythene sheet, awaiting for its inauguration for a long time in Bargarh town and thus stoking resentment among the public.
Efforts were made at the Government level to install a statue of Parvati in the city of Bargarh six years back. On behalf of the State Department of Culture, a meeting was held with the district administration and municipality of Bargarh to install the statue. With the efforts of the then district Collector Khagendranath Padhi, a place was designated for the installation of Parvati's statue on the side of a road opposite the Bargarh Bus stand and the construction had started.
While the initiative was started in 2016-17, the statue has not been unveiled at the site till now. Even the place where the statue was supposed to be placed was also not allowed. The then Municipal Council had sanctioned Rs 10 lakh for the construction of a boundary wall and related development at the place where the statue was installed. But even after talking so much, the site remains neglected. Now, the Bus stand on the opposite side of the canal is going to be made operational and the road is being widened. Thus the fate of the statue hangs in balance.
When asked, the District Culture Officer stated that the process of unveiling the statue of Parvati Giri on behalf of the Culture Department has started but he could not specify the date and also the reasons behind its delay.