The renovated office building of Bezbaroa in Sambalpur (Photo | Express)
The renovated office building of Bezbaroa in Sambalpur (Photo | Express)

Assam government allots extra Rs 80 lakh for Bezbaroa house revamp in Odisha's Sambalpur

The eminent Assamese litterateur lived in Sambalpur for 20 years from 1917 to 1937. During this period, he had constructed two houses in the city in 1924.

SAMBALPUR: The Assam government has earmarked an additional Rs 80 lakh in the state budget of 2021-22 for restoration of the houses of doyen of Assamese literature Lakshminath Bezbaroa at Nelson Mandela Chowk in Sambalpur city. Earlier in 2018, the Assam government had sanctioned Rs 50 lakh for the renovation of the two buildings of Bezbaroa here. Odisha government too had sanctioned Rs 55 lakh for the purpose.

The eminent Assamese litterateur lived in Sambalpur for 20 years from 1917 to 1937. During this period, he had constructed two houses in the city in 1924. While Bezbaroa lived in one house, he used another as his office. Sources said the building used by Bezbaroa as his office was renovated by the Indian National Trust of Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and the work is almost complete.

Member of INTACH, Sambalpur chapter Deepak Panda said, “The additional fund earmarked by the Assam government recently will be utilised for the renovation of Bezbaroa’s house. Once Odisha government submits the utilisation certificate of the Rs 50 lakh sanctioned in 2018, the fund of Rs 80 lakh will be allocated.”

Panda further informed that the renovated office building will be converted into a library-cum-museum. The museum will showcase a collection of books of Bezbaroa besides his other belongings. The INTACH has urged the Assam government to provide some items of Bezbaroa.

Subsequently, the building will be handed over to the Tourism department. It was initially planned to demolish both the houses of Bezbaroa for the development of a rotary junction at Nelson Mandela Chowk. However, the proposal faced stiff opposition following which a decision was taken to conserve the buildings.

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