Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government will celebrate the Panchayati Raj Diwas on April 24 instead of observing the same on March 5.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has apporoved a proposal in this regard. 

“Odisha has been celebrating Panchayati Raj Diwas on March 5 since 2020. However, the National Panchayati Raj Day or National Local Self-Government Day is observed across the country on April 24. In order to remove this anomaly, the Odisha government has decided to celebrate the Panchayati Raj Diwas on April 24 instead of observing the same on March 5,” said the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) in a statement today.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in Odisha, under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik, had announced to celebrate legendary leader Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary on March 5 as Panchayati Raj Diwas. The previous government had declared March 5 as a public holiday.

“The state government will celebrate legendary leader Biju Patnaik’s birth anniversary on March 5. However, it will not be a public holiday,” added the CMO.