Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the renaming of the Government Medical College and Hospital in Kandhamal district after Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.
Event Context
Saraswati, a senior VHP leader who spent decades working in Kandhamal, was shot dead on August 23, 2008, when armed assailants stormed his Jalespata ashram and opened fire, killing him and four associates. The assailants fired around 50 rounds before fleeing.
His assassination sparked widespread communal violence across Kandhamal, leaving at least 39 people dead and hundreds of churches damaged or destroyed. Around 800 criminal cases were registered in connection with the violence.
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The state government will also provide ₹13 crore from the Chief Minister’s Special Assistance Fund for the development of the Jalespata ashram, its school and girls’ hostel.
The allocation includes ₹5 crore for construction of a 300-seat girls’ hostel, ₹3 crore for preservation and development of the ashram heritage site and ₹60 lakh for a river lift water supply project serving the ashram, school and hostel. The remaining funds will be used to build classrooms, toilets, hostel buildings, boundary walls and renovate existing facilities.
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The initiatives were aimed at preserving the historical and cultural significance of the ashram while strengthening educational infrastructure in the tribal-dominated district, the CM said.
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Making this announcement on Monday night, Majhi said the medical college in Phulbani town of Kandhamal will be renamed in honour of Saraswati’s contribution to tribal welfare and education in the district.
