Dharmendra proposes revival of Kalinga Studio

Bhubaneswar: After controversy erupted over Odisha Sports department seeking land for a sports complex at Kalinga Studio, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Sunday said he will take up the revival of the defunct Kalinga Studio issue with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

“I will have a discussion with I&B minister Smriti Irani and request her to provide financial assistance for infrastructure development of the Kalinga Studio with state-of-the-art technology,” Dharmendra tweeted.

Stating that the Kalinga Studio is innately associated with the sentiments of the Odia artistes, he said the development of the studio will improve their livelihood.

Notably, the Ollywood fraternity has vehemently opposed the proposal of the Sports and Youth Affairs department for construction of a sports complex inside the Kalinga Studio premises, on the outskirts of the Odisha capital.

Secretary, Sports and Youth Affairs, Vishal Dev, in a letter to the General Administration Department, has proposed the construction of a sports complex inside the vacant premises of the Kalinga Studio.

Meanwhile, Vishal dev said the letter has been twisted to create an unnecessary controversy.

“Since the city is growing, we have requested GA Department to identify land patches for setting up sports complex and playgrounds in different parts of the city. The letter about Kalinga Studio was also written with the same objective,” said Dev.

He said there has been no decision at the government level and it is a simple proposal.

GA Deptt gets requests for land from different departments and agencies. Very sad to see such an innocuous and simple letter being blown into a controversy by vested interests, he added.

“The matter has not even been discussed at Govt level. But we have such mighty people talking about it as if everything has been done,” said the Sports secretary.