The assembly building illuminated on the eve of Utkal Divas in Bhubaneswar
BHUBANESWAR: Amid rising cases of Covid-19, Odisha is all set to celebrate 85th statehood day, Utkal Divas, on Thursday following Covid protocols. Since the special relief commissioner (SRC) has restricted large gatherings and cultural programmes, the celebrations will be a low-key affair.
The SRC has put a cap on crowd (maximum 200 attendees) in Utkal Divas events with strict adherence to Covid guidelines like social distancing, mandatory wearing of masks, sanitisation and thermal checking. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik will virtually address the state-level Utkal Divas programme scheduled to be held at Jaydev Bhawan here where as speaker Surya Narayan Patro will be chief guest.