Bhubaneswar: Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has requested Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to expedite the process of land allotment for a memorial to the Paika rebellion.
In a letter released to the media on Monday, Pradhan said that the Union Culture Minister Mahesh Sharma had requested for about 50 acres to be made available for the construction of the memorial on Barunei foothills.
Paik Rebellion, also known as Paika bidroha, was an armed rebellion against the British East India Company's rule in Odisha in 1817.
While the Centre has commemorated 200 years of Paika rebellion with a series of events in Delhi and abroad, plans to unveil a Paika commemorative stamp and coin are underway, said Pradhan.
The Minister said that he had personally requested the Chief Minister during a "Smriti Sabha" held to pay homage to late former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in Bhubaneswar for expediting land allotment at the spot where the battle after the revolt took place.
He said that the memorial will honour the heroes of the rebellion as well as other freedom fighters from Odisha.
A unique museum and audio-visual son-et-lumiere show depicting the life and times of Buxi Jagabandhu and Paika rebellion are proposed to be the attractions of the memorial, he said.
Pradhan said that the central government and Indian Oil Foundation have made adequate provision for the commemoration of the event.