Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The government of Odisha has made the important decision to relocate the Panchayati Raj Dibas celebration from March 5 to April 24 in order to conform to national customs. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi supported the move, which, according to an official press release, attempts to reconcile the disparity between the state and national commemorations of the day honoring grassroots democracy.
Odisha has observed March 5 as Panchayati Raj Dibas since 2020. But on April 24, which is also the anniversary of the passage of the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992, which established Panchayati Raj institutions in India, the day is observed nationally. The National Panchayat Awards, Rashtriya Gaurav Gram Sabha Awards, and Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme Awards are among the honors given to delegates from all around the nation on this day.
In order to maintain consistency with the national commemoration, the state administration decided to move the event to April 24. On the same day, Lok Seva Dibas, or Public Service Day, will also be observed. However, March 5 will always have a particular meaning in Odisha since it is the anniversary of the birth of Biju Patnaik, the state’s most famous politician. Although it will not be a national holiday, the government has declared that this day would be celebrated with great fanfare.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi stressed that the ruling honors the memory of Biju Patnaik, who was instrumental in determining the course of Odisha’s growth, and demonstrates the government’s will to bring state procedures into line with federal norms. Stakeholders have praised the action, arguing that it will guarantee more involvement in national-level efforts and fortify the Panchayati Raj system.
