GUWAHATI, Oct 30 - A meeting held between the Collector & District Magistrate of Sambalpur and Naba Kumar Doley, Minister of State (Independent) for Cultural Affairs, Assam, and Hrishikesh Goswami, Media Adviser to the Chief Minister, Assam, at Sambalpur in Odisha today resolved to preserve the heritage residence and office of Sahityarathi Lakshminath Bezbaroa which was facing demolition for the construction of a rotary at Nelson Mandela Chowk, Sambalpur.
�It was ascertained that as per the existing DPR and Layout Plan, both the buildings which were used as residence and office by the eminent Assamese poet and writer Rasaraj Lakshminath Bezbaroa are falling on the roads of the proposed rotary, which is to be constructed at Nelson Mandela Chowk. The Collector & District Magistrate, Sambalpur, has assured the delegates that all efforts are to be made to preserve both the houses, and for the purpose necessary modification in the DPR and Layout Plan is to be considered by the PWD (R&B) authorities,� an official statement signed by Sambalpur DM Samarth Verma, Doley and Goswami said.
The meeting also resolved that joint efforts would be taken up by both the Odisha and Assam governments for preservation of the existing building and development. �It was further discussed that the matter may be taken up by the delegates from Assam at Government level when they meet the Chief Minister, Odisha, during their visit,� the statement said.
Doley and Goswami also visited the residence of Sahityarathi at Sambalpur today and interacted with local organisations. They will meet Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at Bhubaneswar tomorrow.
Earlier yesterday, a memorandum signed by a host of eminent personalities of Assam � former Vice Chancellor of Gauhati University Prof Nirmal Kumar Choudhury, writer and critic Dr Hiren Gohain, writer and veteran journalist Homen Borgohain, Editor of The Assam Tribune Prafulla Govinda Baruah, Editor of Dainik Agradoot Kanak Sen Deka, writers Nirupama Borgohain, Dr Nagen Saikia, Dr Lakshmi Nandan Bora and Harekrishna Deka, filmmakers Jahnu Barua and Santwana Bardoloi, Vice Chancellor of the Gauhati University Prof Mridul Hazarika, Vice Chancellor of the Dibrugarh University Prof Alak Kumar Buragohain, Prof Udayaditya Bharali, Justice (retd) Dhiresh Narayan Choudhury, and writer Jyoti Prasad Saikia � was submitted to the Odisha Chief Minister for preservation and restoration of the Bezbaroa houses.
