Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb on Sunday inaugurated a Shree Jannath Batika, a garden aimed at growing trees to meet log requirement for making of Puri Rathas, in the premises of the ITER College here by planting some neem trees. The garden has jointly been planned by the Siksha O Anusandhan University and the Prerana, a cultural and social organisation. School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra also attended the plantation programme.
Addressing a meeting held on the occasion, the Gajapati said the creation of Shree Jagannath Batikas would serve two purposes, environment protection and meeting of log requirement of Rathas. Prerana president Dr Dillip Srichandan announced that Prerana would supply neem, dhaura, fashi and asana saplings free of cost to those who would want to create Shree Jagannath Batika in the premises of schools, colleges and youth clubs and in the rural jungle area.
Among others, BMC Mayor Anant Narayan Jena, DGP Sanjeev Marik, Central RDC Bikash Mohapatra, Khordha district Collector Niranjan Sahu, former Forests and Environment Director Dr Bhagirathi Behera, film producer Prakash Srichandan, Nalco CMD Ansuman Das, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Janardan Sharma, SOA vice-chancellor Dr Amit Benerjee, film actor Bijay Mohanty, Swami Chidananda Saraswati, Puri Shree Mandir’s Chhatisha Nijog chief Janardan Pattajoshi Mohapatra and noted sculptor Padma Bibhushan Raghunath Mohapatra graced the occasion as guests. On this occasion, noted writer Biswamohan Patnaik declared to give an acre of land for creation of a Shree Jagannath Batika. Teachers from various school and colleges attended the programme.