Assam government has set aside an additional Rs 80 lakh in 2021-22 for the restoration of the houses of the doyen of Assamese literature Lakshminath Bezbarua at Nelson Mandela Chowk in Sambalpur, Odisha.
Between 1917 and 1937, Lakshminath Bezbarua lived in Sambalpur for about 20 years. During this time, he built two houses in the city.
The Assam government had sanctioned Rs 50 lakh in 2018 for the renovation of Bezbarua’s two buildings. The Odisha government had also sanctioned Rs 55 lakh for the purpose at the time.
The Indian National Trust of Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was renovating the building that Bezbarua used as his office. The fund of Rs 80 lakh will be allocated after the Odisha government submits the utilisation certificate for the Rs 50 lakh sanctioned in 2018.
The renovated office building of Bezbarua will be converted into a library-cum-museum, according to the plan. In addition to his other belongings, the museum will display a collection of books by Bezbarua.
Following that, the building will be handed over to Odhisa’s tourism department.
Previously, the Odhisa state government planned to demolish both the Bezbarua houses in order to build a rotary junction at Nelson Mandela Chowk. However, after the Assam government decided to intervene, the proposal was withdrawn.
