In a heartfelt tribute to one of Kandhamal’s most revered spiritual figures, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has decided to rename the Government Medical College and Hospital at Phulbani after Swami Lakshmananda Saraswati.
The CM’s announcement seeks to keep alive the “evergreen memory” of the saint who dedicated his life to the service and upliftment of the tribal communities of Kandhamal.
Alongside the renaming, the CM Majhi has sanctioned Rs 13 crore from the Chief Minister’s Special Assistance (CMSA) fund for the comprehensive development and heritage protection of Swami Lakshmananda’s ashram at Jalespatta.
“The heritage of Jalespatta Ashram must be preserved and made memorable for future generations,” CM Majhi stated while approving the package.
Of the total amount:
- ₹5 crore will be used to construct a modern 300-seat girls’ hostel.
- ₹3 crore is earmarked for the conservation of the ashram’s historic sites.
- ₹60 lakh will fund a mega river-lift irrigation project to ensure reliable water supply to the ashram, the ashram school and the kanyashram.
Additional funds have been allocated for toilets, extra residential quarters for students, boundary walls, classroom renovations and hostel building upgrades.
The dual decision—naming a major medical institution after the Swami and investing substantially in the institution he founded—has been widely welcomed as a fitting recognition of his lifelong work among the tribal people of the region.
With these steps, the Odisha government aims not only to honour a spiritual legacy but also to strengthen educational and healthcare infrastructure in Kandhamal for years to come.
