Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The National Flag Plaza was inaugurated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday at Mahatma Gandhi Park, which is close to Janata Maidan in the state capital. This 5,600-square-meter plaza pays homage to the Indian national flag, which is flown atop a soaring mast that is 100 feet tall.
Usha Devi, Minister of Housing and Urban Development; Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister of Science and Technology; Ananta Narayan Jena, MLA (Central); Susant Kumar Rout, MLA (North); Sulochana Das, Mayor of BMC; Pradeep Kumar Jena, Chief Secretary; G Mathivathanan, Chairman of BDA; Sanjeeb Panda, Police Commissioner; BDA VC Balwant Singh; and representatives of OMC were present at the event.
The plaza honors significant individuals who were essential to the development of the flag and provides a moving reminder of the historical conflicts surrounding its creation. UV-printed flags from 1907 to 1947 are displayed on sandstone panels with stainless steel plates, coupled with images of local and national heroes of the liberation cause. Additionally, these panels have versions of the national anthem in Hindi and Odia scripts, along with inscriptions of “JAI HIND” in the 22 official languages recognized under the 8th schedule of the Indian Constitution.
The Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and the Bhubaneswar Urban Knowledge Centre (BUKC) of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) worked together to execute the flag plaza concept, which was first proposed by the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). The management and continuous upkeep of the flag plaza will fall under the purview of the BDA.
