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Home , Bhubaneswar, Bishwanath Das, Cuttack, Dharitri (newspaper), Government of Odisha, Odisha

April - 2013 Review

The New Capital at

Dr. Atul Chandra

The establishment of a new capital at the retention of the provincial capital of . Bhubaneswar, the town situated in 25015' After the creation of the separate province, for latitude and 85050' longitude in the present district various reasons, the question of an alternative of Khurda after Independence is an important capital site was raised. Cuttack- rivalry landmark in the history of modern Odisha for two reappeared. While some wanted the capital to reasons : first the opening of a new urban centre be located at Puri, others opposed it on the with administrative, educational and cultural ground that it was a religious town and therefore institutions and industrial complexes has added a misfit to be the seat of a secular government. The new dimension to the socio-economic and cultural people and politicians from Southern Odisha life of Odisha; secondly the establishment of the demanded the shifting of capital towards South. new capital in the site of an old capital with extant In 1936, a team of experts, appointed by the remains of the past has resulted in the Central Public Works Department, which was establishment of emotional link between the past headed by an engineer, named F T Jones and the present. Bhubaneswar, which was the suggested Rangailunda, a place near provincial headquarters of emperor and town to be the site for the capital. In May 1937 the capital of the emperor contains the the appointed a inscriptions of Ashoka, the inscriptions, caves and Committee with I.R. Dain as the chairman to sculptures of Kharavela, the of prepare a feasibility report on the construction of Sailodbhaba, Bhauma, Somavamsi and Ganga periods along with massive buildings and capital. The Committee limited its feasibility report institutions of modern period. to four sites - Cuttack, Barang, Chaudwar and Puri. On 24 September 1937, after much The question of a new capital for Odisha acrimonious discussion, the Legislative Assembly was linked with the Odias' movement for a adopted the motion of Girija Bhusan for separate province. Though Cuttack, the building the capital at Cuttack - Chaudwar, a headquarters of Odisha Division was the centre suburb of the Cuttack Town, situated on the of all cultural and political activities, it was found northern bank of the river. This decision to be insufficient and congested for a provincial could not be implemented for want of funds and capital because of its location between the lack of political will. In fact the Government of Mahanadi and Kathjodi rivers. In 1933, the Odisha could not mobilise resources for building Odisha Administrative Committee recommended a bridge on the Mahanadi.

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The post-war reconstruction committee Bhubaneswar. In 1948 the Government of Odisha proposed Bhubaneswar as the ideal site for capital hired Otto Koenigsberger, a German Jew who because of its history, availability of space and had fled from Nazi Germany to work as the town geographical propinquity to Cuttack. The Public planner for the capital construction. On 13 April Works Department aslo reported in favour of 1949, the foundation stone of the new capital was Bhubaneswar on 14 April 1945 : ".... expansion laid by Pandit , the Prime of Cuttack ...... does not (appear) very promising Minister of . On 10 October, 1949 the ..... and it appears that going to Bhubaneswar for Odisha Legislative Assembly met at Bhubaneswar further expansion may be the best solution." for the first time. Ultimately the choice had to be made between the greater Cuttack and Bhubaneswar, and There were some hindrances to the Harekrushna Mahtab who became Prime Minister construction of Capital at Bhubaneswar, such as as the head of the Congress Ministry after the want of funds, the reluctance of Cuttack-based Second World War was able to win the employees to move to offices at Bhubaneswar, Legislative Assembly's approval in favour of and opposition from some prominent Bhubaneswar. Congressmen to the shifting of Capital from Cuttack to Bhubaneswar. While the Government Initially H.K. Mahtab thought of retaining of Odisha requested the to capital at Cuttack by modernizing the town. For provide Rs.2 crores for the capital construction, that purpose he consulted the town planners of Liaquat Ali Khan, the Finance Minister in interim the Tata Company. The planners held that the topography of Cuttack town practically made its Government gave a grant of Rs.1.32 crores. modernization difficult and expensive. Expansion Harekrushna Mahtab's departure from Odisha for towards Chaudwar was impossible without joining the central cabinet and construction of bridge on the Mahanadi. Mahtab Nabakrushna Chaudhury's stay at Cuttack for chose Bhubaneswar as the capital site on the sometime in 1951 delayed the construction work following grounds-all highway bridges from at Bhubaneswar. By the end of 1951 nine offices Cuttack to Bhubaneswar were likely to be - the PWD, the Secretariat, the Directorate of completed before the construction of the bridge Health, the Inspector of Prisons, the on the Mahanadi linking Cuttack and Chaudwar; Registrar of Cooperative Societies, the Public in Bhubaneswar there were a number of buildings Relations, the Agriculture, the Forestry and the which had been constructed by the American Tribal and Rural Welfare had moved from Cuttack troops during the Second World War as they into temporary buildings at Bhubaneswar. During were using its aerodrome; acquisition of land at Mahtab's absence from Odisha, the opposition Bhubaneswar was easy as there were barren lands of political leaders like and as well as forests; Bhubaneswar had a good posed hindrances to capital climate, construction of houses at Bhubaneswar construction at Bhubaneswar. was easy because of hard rocky ground and availability of stone slabs; above all Bhubaneswar While designing the capital complex, was a place of historical importance. initially the following institutional structures were proposed to be raised - Gandhi Memorial, the On 30 September 1946 the Odisha Legislative Assembly, 's House the Legislative Assembly passed a unanimous Secretariat, the State Public Library, the Museum resolution for the construction of Capital at and Accountant General's Office.

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Completion of construction of bridges on College and various kinds of schools and colleges Kathjodi (January 1951) and Kuakhai (August like BJB College and Ramadevi College. 1951) solved the problem of transport between Cuttack and Bhubaneswar. During Harekrushna Since the publication of the above Mahtab's second Chief Ministership from 1956 Gazetteer quite a number of new institutes with to 1960 the construction of the above mentioned buildings have sprung up. These include East institutional buildings was expedited. In 1960 the Coast Railways, Reserve Bank of India (Regional Office), State Bank of India (Regional Office), Secretariat building was completed. Gandhi Central Excise, Customs and Service Tax memorial could not be constructed. The difference (Regional Office), Ayakar Bhavan (Regional of opinion between Koenigsberger and Julius Vaz, Office), Office of the Police Commissioner and the Government architect (who designed Rabindra DGP (Camp), IDCOL and IPICOL. There has Mandap) and want of qualified architects in been a mushroom growth of Engineering, Odisha created obstruction for the construction Management and Computer Application Training of buildings. Koenigsberger left for great Britain Centres. Two Private Engineering Colleges (KIIT in 1951. and SOA) have gained the status of deemed According to the Gazetteer, universities. Xavier Institute of Management was published in 1977, the following were the notable established in Bhubaneswar in 1987. The city has nearly twenty institutions teaching M.B.A. Course. buildings in the New Capital. The other important institutions, based on Science , Secretariat, the Legislative and Engineering are National Institute of Science Assembly, State Museum, multi-storied Heads of Education and Research (NISER), Indian Institute Department, Rabindra Mandap, Suchana Bhavan, of Technology (at Argul), Institute of Life Sciences, Utkal Sangeet Mahavidyalay, Orissa State Institute of Mathematics and Application, and Archives, Central Market Building, Utkal International Information Technology Centre. University, University of Agriculture and Bhubaneswar has a chain of elite schools of Technology, Office of the Accountant General, international standard like Sai International Office of the Post Master General, and the State School, KIIT International School, Xaviers International School, Public School and Library and the following were the important DAV Schools which are attracting students from centres of learning and research in the New the whole State and outside. With six universities Capital - (Vani Vihar), University about a dozen of general colleges and about eighty of Agriculture and Technology, Regional College technical institutions out of a total of 110 in the of Education (now Regional Institute of State, Bhubaneswar has become an education Education), , Regional Research hub. With Infocity- I and Infocity-II, Bhubaneswar Laboratory (now Institute of Minerals and has become a preferred destination of IT Materials Technology), Institute of Physics, engineers. The All India Institute of Medical Institute of Industrial Management, State Institute Sciences (the construction of which building is of Education, Eastern Regional Language Institute, nearing completion) has started functioning at Sijua Regional Research Institute (Ayurveda), Tribal near the Capital. Three private Medical Colleges Research Bureau, State Forensic Laboratory, - KIIMS, SUM and High Tech have been Administrative Training School, Tribal and Oriental established. There are big private hospitals like Training Centre, Accounts Training School, , Apollo, , Aditya Care, SUM, Cooperative Training College, Homoeopathy Ayus and Vivekananda along with the Government

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Hospitals and dispensaries and small nursing The original masterplan for Bhubaneswar homes. As reported in the press the following has been revised on the basis of the Ford private hospitals would be operational in near Foundation Report in 1960's, 1970's and 1980's. future - Narayan Hrudayalaya, AMRI, Care Lack of political will and popular collaboration Group, Asian Heart Institute, Global Hospital and has posed hindrances to the implementation of Desun (Times of India, 3 February 2013). masterplan and the building of a modern city. The Mention may be made of other institutions with digging of a lake which was proposed in the impressive buildings - Fortune Tower, NALCO masterplan has not yet been implemented. Bhavan, , Originally the New Capital was planned Planetarium, Science Centre & Natural History to be an administrative town, supposed to have a Museum. Bhubaneswar possesses star hotels like population of forty thousands. But in course of Hotel Kalinga Ashoka, New Marrion, May Fair, time it has grown into the political and cultural Crown, Swosti Premium etc. nerve centre of Odisha. About 70 to 80 daily The other attractive features of the Capital (Odia and English) such as , at Bhubaneswar are four parks - Forest Park, Samaj, , , Samaya, Dinalipi, Indira Park, Ekamra Park which contains an Times of India, Telegraph and Indian Express are artificial lake and Park, the being published from Bhubaneswar. The establishment of industrial estates (at Rasulgarh and a Studio (Kalinga) for the and Mancheswar) and service industries has shooting of films. increased the commercial importance of the city. Along with old shrines like Lingaraj, Bhubaneswar, the administrative Mukteshwar, Rajarani, Brahmeshwar, headquarters of the State is fast becoming its Kedaragouri and others many modern temples culture capital with , and music festivals, and religious institutions have come up. The most seminars, workshops and exhibitions being important of modern temples are Mandir, organised throughout the year. On 23 December Radhakrushna temple (established by Kalpataru 2012 the city witnessed one of the biggest Seba Sangha of Kendrapada), known as Baya confluences of Odishi dancers, called 7th Math, ISKCON, Shiridi Sai temple of Tankapani International Festival which began with an Road. There are many unauthorized temples on enchanting performance by the veteran danseuse the way side. Besides temples, Sonal Mansingh. On 15 December 2012 Toshali Churches, mosques and Gurudwara have been Craft Fair was started in the Janata Maidan of established by , and the city, which was attended by more than 300 respectively. Bhubaneswar has a modern Buddha artisans of the State. The stone sculptures carved Vihar and a Jain temple. Ramakrushna Math, out in imitation of the ancient and medieval situated in old Bhubaneswar is an important sculptures by artisans among whom Raghunath religious institution, associated with the famous Mahapatra has been awarded Padmabibhusan Ramakrushna Mission. There is a massive have attracted tourists from outside. On the whole, religious institution, called Satsanga Vihar, built the capital's ancient heritage, along with its present by the followers of Anukul Thakur. In the vicinity cultural activities has made it the major tourist of Bhubaneswar, near Ashokan inscription at destination of the State. The sand sculptures of an imposing peace Pagoda (Shanti ) Puri (a part of the golden triangle of has been built by the Japanese Buddhists. Bhubaneswar-Puri- raised by artisans like

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Sudarsan Patnaik) have also been an attraction which was planned simultaneously. for the tourists. Well-connected with the out-side In the words of , the former Chief world by rail, road and air Bhubaneswar is every Minister, " Bhubaneswar is a poor man's town. year visited by lakhs of Indians and thousands of Keeping the poverty of Odisha in mind, it was foreign tourists. not to be a grandiose town like Chandigarh. Its potential was limited by the poverty of the people Initially the population of Bhubaneswar and the imagination of planners." About three was growing at a slow rate. In order to encourage decades before, a Punjabi Professor told me that private housing the Government of Odisha started the difference between Bhubaneswar and leasing the plots for ninety nine years. Chandigarh is the difference between Odisha and Koenigsberger did not feel the necessity of vertical Punjab. Bhubaneswar has miles to go to develop planning and recommended a horizontal plan. the infrastructure required for a metrolpolitan city During the last three decades the population of a status it has acquired over the years, which the Bhubaneswar has increased at a faster rate. planners did not visualise. Considering the growth According to the Census of 2011 its population potentials of the cities of India Cushman and is 8.38 lakhs. To enlarge its areas and enhance its Wakefield, a leading global real estate services population up to 10 lakhs so as to make it a firm and Global Initiative for Restructuring metropolitan city according to the norms of Environment and Management (GIREM), a Government of India. Bhubaneswar Municipal body on urbanisation have identified Bhubneswar Corporation has planned to bring 21 Gram as one of the top 10 emerging cities in India. The Panchayats and two villages within its jurisdiction. Urban Development Department of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority has decided Government of Odisha is also planning to develop to develop a modern integrated township on world-class urban infrastructure facilities like rapid 1200 acres of land near Jatni. Cuttack, transport system, round the clock water supply Bhubaneswar, Khurda and Jatni are merging into and integrated sewerage in Bhubaneswar. a single urban conglomerate. With the completion of four-laning of the highway between References : Bhubaneswar and Puri, the latter town will become part of the same urban complex. Like 1. Nilamani Senapati and Charan Kuanr, Orissa Englishmen aspiring to have a cottage in London District Gazetteers, Puri, Bhubaneswar, 1977. many Odias aspire to have a house in Bhubaneswar. Every year on an average 5000 2. Ravi Kalia, Bhubaneswar : from a Temple Town to housing units are being added. As a result of a , Oxford University Press, , expansion of housing, Bhubaneswar has 1994. expanded towards Khurda, and Cuttack and 3. Harekrushna Mahtab, Sadhanar Pathe (Oriya), high rise apartments have come up. The slum Cuttack, 1972. population of Bhubaneswar now nearly three lakhs, has increased because of migration of 4. Times of India, 17 November, 2012. people from rural areas in search of job and livelihood. Slums have developed in open spaces as well as on the wayside. Lack of sanitation and growth of slum population have made the urban Dr. Atul Chandra Pradhan, Retired Professor of History, scene in Bhubaneswar " Chaotic and ugly". MIG-68, Baramunda Housing Board Colony, Bhubaneswar offers a poor contrast to Bhubaneswar - 751003.

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