The four-day-long 20th Youth Festival, which was being observed here, concluded on Saturday amid pomp and gaiety.
MP Tathagata Satpathy gracing the occasion as chief guest said youths need to gain wider knowledge on an international language along with mother tongue to prosper in life. Besides, he said as there is nothing to hide in the internet age parents should openly tell their children to refrain themselves from bad habits and unprotected sex.
District Collector Rupa Roshan Sahu presided over the concluding function. DRDA PD Madhusudan Mishra and Zilla Parishad president Binodini Samal attended as other guests. As many as 1270 youths, including 448 girls, from all the 30 districts of the State participated in the festival. Programmes like folk song and dance, Odissi dance, playing of various musical instruments, including Karnataki vocal and Hindustani vocal, and elocution competitions were organised.
Mountaineer Kalpana Dash, dramatist Dilliswar Moharana, journalist Krushna Kumar Mishra were felicitated for successfully leading the cultural procession from the Bramhani Devi temple to the stadium ground.
State coordinator Nibedita Acharya delivered vote of thanks. Around 321 officials and volunteers were engaged for smooth conduct of the festival. Satya Narayan Kar, Suresh Prasad Mishra, Abani Mishra and Satrughna Mati coordinated the festival.