Pitabas Panda warns of strong protest if beach festival is politicized

Berhampur, 12/1 (Abhijit Kar): Spokesperson of the Provincial Congress Committee and Member of the State Law Council Pitabas Panda has called on the government and the administration to not give a political color to the efforts made by the government and the administration to organize the Gopalpur beach Festival. Last year, the festival committee did not even give invitation letters to local artists, intellectuals, lawyers, doctors, various political parties and civil society workers.

Even Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahi and Sankhemundi MLA Ramesh Chandra Jena were not invited. Therefore, in this context, the festival committee should organize the festival keeping in view the beauty of Gopalpur beach, commercial development in the district and development of talent of local artists. There is no problem in bringing various artistes from outside the state, but the folk dances and artists of the district should be given a chance. In a statement to reporters, Mr. Panda demanded that the amount of money spent on the festival be made public and that it would be opposed if it was organized on a bipartisan basis.