Bhubaneswar, Nov 28: Though it started within a short notice, the weekly mega event to promote non-motorised transport (NMT) and road safety ‘Patho Utsav’ started with a bang on Sunday on Janpath and attracted thousands of footfalls, surprising all expectations. It also provided enough hint that people’s participation in a liveable city-building activity is always there to stay for long. Sunday’s Patho Utsav with a tag on “Ama Rasta’’ or our road, brings the idea of people owning the road and not the motorists.
In fact, the concept of NMT is all about giving priorities to walkers or pedestrians, cyclists their due space though it is depleting miserably in the unplanned city growth perspectives. However, this weekly initiative will definitely go a long way to make people aware of road safety, use of lanes in a particular road and how to respect each other’s space sensibly in a responsive society. Apart from the cycling, skating, walking and recreational events at Stage I and II, events like puppet shows, group dances, physical fitness exercises a stall on Swachha Bharat Mission by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation to make the citizens aware of the Swachha Survkshan 2017 and art and craft activities by two leading city-based institutes Art Godaam and Art Ya Craft attracted crowd. The cycles were managed by Joy Odisha and the skaters were from Odisha Skating Academy. Musical group Ama Kalakar Parivaar, Shakuntala Music Group and Vignanz attracted the crowd with their beautiful performances.
Dance groups like Sizzlers, I Dance Plus and Dance WorkZ also pulled the crowd. Gifted child Neha Niharika Kar, as a member of Shakuntala Music Group, performed at Stage II in front of the Ram Mandir and mesmerized the crowd with her sweet and smart songs and especially with her ability to sail through all types from the golden era to the present day hits of Bollywood. City-based Bakul Foundation and Women in Society Help (WISH) did try innovative ideas to motivate people for their cause and message for the betterment of the society. While Bakul brought Ollywood actor and politician Akash Das Nayak to make the story-telling session more interesting, WISH introduced kids with various talents to showcase them during Patho Utsav. Children’s organizations like People’s Cultural Centre and Hamara Bachpan also organized activity based programs for children and especially for marginalized children and the participants enjoyed their time at Patho Utsav.
Earlier at Stage I near Master Canteen Square, Industries, School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Chandra Panda, BMC Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena, MLAs Priyadarshi Mishra and Bijay Kumar Mohanty and local MP Prasanna Patsani were present. Among others Special Secretary GAD Ashok Meena, BMC Commissioner Dr. Krishan Kumar, Jajpur Collector Ranjan Kumar Das, Deputy Mayor K. Santi and corporators were present. Nodal officer for Patha Utsav and Member Enforcement BDA Bhabani Chayani was also present.
The BMC Mayor thanked all citizens for participating in the weekend event and also requested them to remember the cleanliness agenda of Patho Utsav, which has become a successful brand for the Smart City Bhubaneswar to promote NMT. Four winners were given prizes of Rs 2,000 each for coining the new name for the city’s unique street festival on Sunday morning. They were given the cheques during the event. They are Loknath Patra, Bharat Bhusan Sahu, Dhrub Patwari and Madhumita Ratha.
While little babies are in their learning process to walk down the street and even many still crave on the cradle, did come on Sunday to Janpath to have a feel of the Patho Utsav with their parents, and especially supporting mothers, many were seen enjoying their time among the safe surroundings of Patho Utsav.
