Kosal Discussion and Development Forum

Sonepur gears up for state level youth festival

December 8, 2011 at 5:37 pm sanjibkarmee Leave a comment

Following is a report from the Telegraph:

Sonepur, Dec. 7: Residents of Sonepur district in Odisha are waiting enthusiastically for the start of a state-level youth festival to be held here from December 16 to 18.

Officials of the sports and youth affairs department, as well as the district administration, are busy with final moment preparations for the youth festival.

A committee from Bhubaneswar visited the town recently to oversee the preparations.

This is the first time that Sonepur is going to host the state-level youth festival, which is usually held in the state capital.

District sports officer Ajaya Behera said 1,200 odd participants from across the state would take part in the festival.

“We have been informed that at least 1,200 participants will take part in different competitions during the three-day festival. This apart, 300 officials will also attend the festival,” Behera said.

Behera said both the inauguration and closing programmes would be held at Gandhi Maidan, which is located in the heart of the town. “Preparations are in the last stage at Gandhi Maidan which is the venue for both the opening and closing programmes. Besides Gandhi Maidan, there are at least four other venues — Bhima Bhoi Kala Mandap, Town Hall field, College field and Royal field — where different competitions and cultural programmes of the festival will be held. Stages are being built at all these venues,” he said.

At a preparatory meeting yesterday, Sonepur collector Gagan Bihari Swain said a few committees had been formed to look into various aspects of the festival.

Swain said the state government had given Rs 9 lakh towards organising the festival.

Seeking the help of people, he said: “But the amount is not sufficient. So, we have asked all the 96 panchayats of the district to contribute Rs 2,000 each to the festival fund. We also expect people to make voluntary donations.”

The district collector hoped that non-government organisations (NGOs) and youths of the district would come forward to take part in the festival.

“I also want the involvement of youths and culture enthusiasts of neighbouring districts so that the festival is a success,” he said.

Entry filed under: Region watch, Subarnapur.