The members of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) convened today to plan activities for “Local Self-Government Day.”
The meeting was chaired by Mayor Sulochana Das, with Dy. Mayor Smt. Manjulata Kanhar, Commissioner, Chanchal Rana, IAS, Additional Commissioner Ratnakar Sahoo, Sasmita Sahu, City Engineer Bilash Kumar Behera, and Chairman of the Cultural Standing Committee Ramachandra Ransingh present on the dais.
Decisions were made to celebrate Local Self-Government Day 2025 in a grand manner, similar to previous years. Following the flag hoisting, a series of events have been planned for the celebration.
This annual occasion reflects solidarity and includes a variety of friendly events such as sports and entertainment. This year, a friendly cricket tournament will take place between the Mayor’s XI and the Commissioner’s XI, alongside a football match between the same teams. Various indoor and outdoor games, including chess, carom, badminton, and musical chairs, will be organised for both male and female participants. The BMC’s Recreation Club will coordinate these activities.
Additionally, a cultural program will be held by the BMC’s Recreation Club at Rabindra Mandap on September 2, 2025. Competitions in poetry, essays, speeches, and drawing will also be held for school students. Three individuals from each of the three zones of BMC will be honoured with the “Nagar Bandhu Award” for their outstanding contributions. The cleanest wards from the three zones will also receive recognition.
It is noteworthy that community programs will be organised by senior citizen organisations and resident welfare associations in various parks to mark the occasion. Corporators from localities have been requested to support these initiatives to disseminate the message of Local Self-Government Day. Ward officers will coordinate the effort and share photographs of park programs in their respective areas.
A grand program is planned for August 31. The flag will be hoisted at the BMC headquarters at 8 AM. Following this, the Hon’ble Mayor and the BMC team will visit different shelters for urban homeless individuals, distributing fruits and sweets to the residents. Various completed developmental projects will also be inaugurated in the morning.
In the evening, a special program will take place at Jayadev Bhavan, which will include the “Nagara Bandhu Samman” award ceremony, the release of the souvenir “Aahwan,” and the felicitation of winners from various school competitions.