Odisha govt constitutes Heritage Cabinet to preserve Odia culture, language

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has constituted a Heritage Cabinet to preserve and spread the history and culture of Odisha and enrich Odia language.

The state government has issued a notification in this regard, said an official on Thursday.

The eight-member Heritage Cabinet will be headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Ministers of finance, Odia language, literature & culture and tourism, handlooms, textiles & handicrafts, SC, ST development, higher education, school & mass education and electronics & IT have been appointed as its members.

While Chief Secretary is the secretary of the cabinet, secretary of Odia language, literature & culture is its convener. Secretaries of all six departments will be special invitees on the cabinet, the official said.

Notably, the Odisha government had decided to set up a ‘Heritage Cabinet’ at a special cabinet meeting held in Puri on December 26 last year.

The heritage cabinet will prepare and approve short-term and long-term plans to maintain harmony among Odia language, literature and culture.