Sambalpur: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik February 27, 2016 inaugurated the Smruti Bhawan and Museum along the side of river Mahanadi to make the current generation of youths familiar with the contribution of freedom fighters from this region.
However, since its inauguration, the memorial has been lying defunct in the absence of basic facilities to facilitate public visits. Not even a single portrait of the sons of western Orissa finds a place on its walls.
Locals expressed dissatisfaction as they felt freedom fighters like Veer Surendra Sai, Birsa Munda, Nrushingha Guru, Bhagirathy Patnayak, Chandrasekhar Behera and their ilk are being neglected by not giving spaces to their pictures in the museum.
The building has nothing but a signboard that mockingly indicates that it is a museum but it has been under lock since its inauguration.
In the absence of proper maintenance, the building constructed at a cost of Rs 2 crore, has turned into a den for anti-socials.
The memorial pillar is covered with grass and bushes. The switchboards are now without switches while taps are missing. Plates on the steps have developed cracks.
The entire area is littered with liquor bottles, empty guthka sachets and other discarded items. While the main gate is locked, anti-socials freely use the left side opening as their passage into the hall, creating an impression as if they were museum staff.
The Gaurishankar Sahani Park, inaugurated February 26, 2009, opens between 5 am and 9 am and again between 4 pm and 6 pm for joggers and morning and evening walkers. Rest of the time, anti-social elements take it under their control.
While the museum needs urgent attention of the administration, the Sambalpur Development Authority (SDA) and the Sambalpur Municipality Corporation seem to be trying to wriggle out of their duties.
When contacted, Bimalendu Ray, commissioner, SMC, said the municipality has handed over the museum to the Sambalpur Development Authority. Now, the maintenance entirely rests on SDA and the municipality has nothing to do with it.
On the other hand, Bijay Kumar Mohanty, chairman, SDA, made it clear that the SMC is in charge of its maintenance. It is constructed from the Western Orissa Development Fund. But which department is to undertake its developmental work is still not finalised, he added.
The locals, meanwhile, demanded intervention of the district administration to solve the impasse.