Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Oct 22:

The birthplace of Utkal Gourab Madhusudan Das will be developed as a tourist site, announced Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during a rally in Cuttack district.

As Odisha celebrates 80^th year of its establishment on linguistic basis, Odisha government has decided to develop Satyabhamapur— the birthplace of Madhu Babu – as a place of tourist attraction.

Chief Minister was addressing a gathering at Salipur where he announced this.

Besides, he expressed his happiness over announcement of Satyabhamapur as a special panchayat.

Das was born on April 28, 1848 at Satyabhamapur, about 20 km from Cuttack. Considered the greatest ever leader of the Odia race, Madhu Babu was variously known as ‘Mr. Das’, ‘Utkal Gaurab’ (Pride of Utkal), Desaprana (The Patriot) and ‘Kulabruddha’ (The Grand Old man).

During his day-long tour, Patnaik was on a foundation stone laying spree in Cuttack, Salipur and Niali where over 30 projects were flagged off. Projects worth around Rs 162 crore including roads, lift irrigation points, warehouses, electric sub-stations and grid stations, cyclone shelter homes, bridges, anganwadi centers, piped drinking water supply, and hostels were inaugurated and foundation stones were laid.