The students and teachers of schools run by the ST, SC Development (SSD) Department under the leadership of the District Welfare Officer organized the Sargiphul fest here.
Though this year, the event did not have that kind of fervour like in the past, the tribal children organised many cultural programmes dressed in traditional attire. Folk song, music, dance, elocution, drawing, sand art and volleyball competitions were held, besides photo, book and science exhibitions.
Dignitaries like Tribal Affairs Minister and Rayagada MlA lal Bihari Himirika, MlAs Jagannath Saraka from Bissam Cuttack, Trinath Gomango from Gunupur, MP Jhinna Hikaka, Rajya Sabha MP N Bhaskar Rao did not attend the function though earlier they had consented to joining it and their names were printed in the invitation cards.
“As BJD was celebrating Biju Patnaik’s birth centenary at Delhi, by order of the high command, all the aforesaid political leaders made a beeline to the Delhi celebration. These leaders, who gave consent to be part of the Sargi Phula festival, did not have this event in their priority list. This reflects the concern of tribal leaders for tribal children and their issues,” said a prominent social activist here.
However, ZP Chairperson Sujata Mandingi, Collector Guha Poonam Tapas Kumar jointly inaugurated the event. Others present on the occasion were Sub-collector-cum-PA-ITDA Rayagada Muralidhar Swain, Gunupur Sub-Collector Basanta Kumar Sahu and Gunupur PA-ITDA Karunakar Raika.