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Clamour for Orissa to be renamed Odisha

The demand for renaming Orissa as Odisha is gaining ground following the renaming of Calcutta as Kolkata recently.

"Orissa should be renamed Odisha," said Soumya Ranjan Patnaik, former Congress MP and president of the 'Ama Odisha', a cultural organisation.

Besides this, the Viswa Oriya Sammilani, a cultural body, plans to pass a resolution at its second convention demanding the renaming.

There is a section in the ruling Biju Janata Dal/Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government who support the demand and feel that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will back it.

The supporters for renaming include former chief minister J B Patnaik, senior BJP leader Biswabhusan Harichandan, who is revenue minister and the Utkal Sammilani, one of the oldest cultural organisations in the state.

J B Patnaik, who is currently the state Congress president, had as chief minister made Oriya the official language of the state and directed that all official work be done in Oriya.

Viswa Oriya Sammilani president and former Orissa Speaker Yudhistir Das told rediff.com that one of the major objectives behind the organisation's second convention is the resolution for renaming Orissa.

The Sammilani scheduled to be held from December 29 to 31 at Rourkela which will be attended by Vice-President Krishna Kant and several Union and state ministers.

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