The 73rd Independence Day was celebrated with high sprit at the stadium ground in Dhenkanal on Thursday.
Higher Education Minister Dr Arun Kumar Sahoo unfurled the Tricolour with district Collector Bhumesh Chandra Behera and SP Anupama James by side.
Receiving the salute of the parade, Dr Sahu spoke about the various achievements of the Naveen Patnaik Government.
Apart from colourful cultural programmes at Gopabandhu Town hall at night, a blood donation camp, health check up of senior citizens, plantation, distribution of sweets and fruits among prisoners, inmates of old age home, differently-abled, indoor patients of the District Headquarters Hospital and also among the participants of parade were organised.
Earlier statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Utkalgaurav Madhusudan, Utkal Mani Gopabandhu and Dr BR Ambedkar were garlanded at Gandhi Park Civil Court Chhak, bus-stand, Town Hall and near the Collectorate respectively.