Bhubaneswar: An inauguration ceremony attended by chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Tuesday witnessed an awkward moment after Bhubaneswar mayor Sulochana Das publicly expressed displeasure over the omission of her name from the inaugural plaque of the newly developed Bajrangi playground.The mayor, who was invited to the event, raised the issue in the presence of housing and urban development minister Krushna Chandra Mohapatra, Bhubaneswar-Ekamra MLA Babu Singh, Khurda MLA Prashant Jagdev and Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) vice-chairman Chanchal Rana. While the plaque carried the names of the CM, minister, local MLA and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, Das’s name was missing.The mayor alleged that the omission was deliberate and politically motivated. “The playground project had been initiated during the previous BJD govt, but the BJP completed and inaugurated it. They deliberately did not put my name on the plaque. They thought the BJD would get the credit and therefore included only BJP leaders’ names,” Das alleged.The BJP, however, rejected the charge. Bhubaneswar-Ekamra MLA Babu Singh said the omission could have been an oversight by those responsible for preparing the plaque and should not be viewed through a political lens. “The mayor’s name had been included in the official programme, and there was no deliberate attempt to exclude her. Her name will be added in the plaque,” said Singh.Despite the controversy, the event marked the launch of several major urban development projects. The CM inaugurated two affordable housing projects, Neelakantheswar Nivas at Ghatikia and Mukteswar Residency at Gadakana, adding a total of 1,608 housing units to the city. The projects include 680 units at Gadakana, built at a cost of around Rs 95 crore, and 928 units at Ghatikia, developed for Rs 66.48 crore.Majhi also dedicated 12 modern playgrounds across Bhubaneswar and nearby areas and laid the foundation stone for a rental housing project. Additionally, 962 families in Buddha Vihar, Neelamadhab, Subuddhipur and Shantipalli received housewarming and occupancy benefits under housing schemes.
