Bhubaneswar: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar Sunday abruptly cancelled his meeting with the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) of Odisha scheduled December 29 and returned to New Delhi, official sources said.
Kumar, who was on the three-day tour to Odisha, returned due to a major accident involving his father, the sources said, adding that he may return to the state to hold discussions with the BLOs ahead of the announcement of special intensive revision (SIR) here.
Expressing regret over his sudden departure from the state, Kumar said that Odisha’s art, architecture, hospitality and natural beauty have greatly impressed him, and assured the people that he will definitely visit the place again.
Upon his arrival here Saturday, Kumar had said that he came to Odisha to have darshan of Lord Jagannath and also to meet our booth-level officers, whom he described as the “pillars of our election process”.
As per the earlier schedule, Kumar was supposed to interact with around 700 BLOs from Khurda and Cuttack districts at 3 PM Monday in Bhubaneswar.
The BLOs will play a major role in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Odisha, which is likely to be conducted by the EC in the third phase.
The EC conducted SIR in Bihar in the first phase, and the exercise is underway in 12 states and Union territories in the second phase. Odisha, and the remaining states and UTs are expected to be covered in the next phase.
On the second day of his visit, Kumar, accompanied by his wife Sunday visited the heritage crafts village of Raghurajpur in Puri district. He experienced firsthand the exquisite Pattachitra paintings, Tussar textiles, woodcraft and other artistic creations made by the local artisans, and also interacted with them. Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer R S Gopalan and Puri district collector Dibya Jyoti Parida were present at the village.
Praising the artisans of Raghurajpur, Kumar said that they have kept alive centuries-old Indian culture, traditions and folklore through ‘Pattachitra’ painting and other art forms, and that their work deserves the highest appreciation.
“I appeal to people across the country to visit Raghurajpur and witness its unique artistic heritage,” he told reporters and also appreciated the Gotipua dance performed by dancers at Raghurajpur.
While returning to Bhubaneswar, he visited the Dhauli Peace Pagoda and the nearby rock edicts, and learned about Buddhist culture and history from Buddhist monks.
The CEC described the panoramic view of Bhubaneswar city and the Daya River from the Peace Pagoda as “extremely beautiful”.
He remarked that India is known worldwide for peace and harmony and expressed his wish that the message of peace from the Dhauli Peace Pagoda spreads even further across the world.
In the afternoon, Kumar visited Udayagiri Hill and its ancient caves. Later, he visited the Mukteswar Temple, where he was deeply impressed by the ancient Kalinga-style architecture and sought the blessings of the deities along with his family.