Today, the 16th Finance Commission, which is now visiting Odisha for four days, arrived in Bhubaneswar. The Commission’s chairman and members spent the afternoon touring Kalinga Stadium and the Odisha State Tribal Museum as part of their schedule. The party toured displays of tribal decorations, including bracelets, waist cords, and leg ornaments, at the unique Abhushan Center of the Odisha State Tribal Museum. The elaborate Dokra crafts, paintings, furniture, and tribal handlooms really captivated them.
A documentary highlighting the rich customs, culture, and way of life of Odisha’s tribal people was also viewed by the team. They praised efforts to protect tribal art, customs, and artifacts and expressed gratitude for the state government’s efforts to preserve tribal history.
The Finance Commission delegation then went to Kalinga Stadium and toured a number of top-notch sports facilities, such as the Gopichand Badminton High-Performance Center, the Sports Science Center, the Biomechanics Lab, the Gait Lab, the Spin Studio, the Para Athlete Performance Center, the Tennis Center, the Athletics Center, the Hockey Stadium, the Gymnastics Center, the Aquatic Center, and the Sports Science Center.
Along with members Ajay Narayan Jha, Annie George Mathew, Dr. Manoj Panda, Economic Advisor Dr. Prashant Kumar Panda, Joint Director Priya Sarraf, and Deputy Directors Manshi Gupta and Shikha Singh, the delegation was led by Finance Commission Chairman Dr. Arvind Panagariya. Senior state representatives were also in attendance, including Principal Secretary Saswata Mishra of the Finance Department and Principal Secretary Bhaskar Jyoti Sharma of the Sports & Youth Affairs Department.