The Utkal Sammilani Mancheswar branch observed the Odia New Year on the Maha Bisubha Sankranti on Friday here. The function started with offering of flowers to lord Jagarnnath and on portraits of Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das.
President of the branch Dillip Dashsharma presided over the meeting while member Dwarikanath Mohanty released a news magazine of the Sammilani.
The meeting decided to urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to the State on April 15 for installing a statue of Madhusudan in the Parliament hall and nomination of an Odia to the Rajya Sabha from the quota of the President every year.
Among others, Samillani vice president Pratap Swain, joint-secretary Ashok Paltasingh, executive samiti member Siba Prasad Mishra, Prasanna Rath, Pratap Kumar Nanda, Gopi Mohan Patnaik, Nalini Kumar Mohanty and Akshaya Kumar Jethi spoke. Secretary Gobinda Chandra Subudhi read the annual report while Sital Chandra Mohanty proposed vote of thanks.