Baripada: Baripada owes a lot to great freedom fighter, patriot, social worker and journalist Utkalamani Gopabandhu Das, who was a resident of the town for two decades.
In 1892, he started living in a house provided to him by then Mayurbhanj king, but ironically the house, subsequently named Gopabandhu Bhawan, now lies in a state of dilapidation for lack of repair and maintenance, a report said.
Gopabandhu’s contribution to the development of Baripada municipality was immense. He was nominated by the king to the State Council as the government counsel while he was also the first deputy chairperson of Baripada municipality.
Gopabandhu Bhawan now presents a picture of neglect with no visitors. On Local Self Governance Day, observed recently, civic and administrative officials did not think it wise to pay a visit to the house, which had a lot to do with local self governance, alleged locals.
Locals lamented that the municipality officials and political leaders dwelt upon the remarkable contribution of Gopabandhu to development of the municipality, and garlanded his statute in his honour, but failed to visit the house, which should have been converted into a memorial.
After Gopabandhu left the house in 1912, none cared for its upkeep and renovation, the locals said.
Leaving the house uncared for is a kind of disgrace to the freedom fighter, they said.
Worse, there is a dispute between the civic body and the works department over the structure’s ownership.
Now, it is learnt that a part of premises had been grabbed by people.
According to reports, many years ago, a library was set up on the
premises. In 1982, then Mayurbhanj district collector Dhirendranath Padhi had made efforts for preservation of the house.
Padhi had a plaque fixed on its wall and named the house Gopabandhu Bhawan.
Locals are of the view that while many monuments cherishing the memories of our great men at other places of the state have been preserved and protected, the Gopabandhu Bhawan has been given short shrift by the administration. They sought immediate steps for its revamp. PNN
