Senior Congress leader Narasingha Mishra has maintained that the foundation day of Odisha on April 1 which is being celebrated as Utkal Divas should be observed as Odisha Divas to avoid regional disparity.
Speaking at the annual day celebration of Odia daily Kalinga Mail here, Mishra said that since the annexation of Udra, Kalinga, Utkal and Kosal, the State is consequently termed as Odisha.
“If we observe the foundation day of the State as Utkal Divas, the people in northern Odisha will observe Kosal Divas which will lead to regional disparity. Hence, April 1 should be celebrated as Odisha Divas,” said Mishra.
Attending the function, PCC president Niranjan Patnaik observed that Odisha has gone down in the poverty line during this decade. Kaling Mail editor Sivananda Ray presided over the meeting. The Pioneer journalist Kishore Mangaraj and OTV journalist Satyajit Mishra were felicitated on the occasion.