Government signs MoU with RCM to revive dying art

Bhubaneswar, Dec 1 (UNI) The Orissa Government today signed an MoU with the Centre for Development of Ancient Culture, a unit of the Regional College of Management(RCM), Bhubaneswar, to revive and promote the dying forms of dance and music in the state.

The MoU was signed by state Commissioner cum Secretary Gopinath Mohanty and RCM Director Prabir Pal.

As per the MoU, the RCM along with Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi, will organise a programme at least once every for four months in different parts of the state for the revival of the dying art forms.

At least one of these programmes would be held at Rabindra Mandap, Bhubaneswar, followed by training programmes, seminars and workshops.

While the Orissa Sangeet Natak Akademi would organise the cultural programmes, the RCM would finance them.

Orissa Minister for Culture S N Patro said the government had identified 13 art forms for revival of which four would be taken up in the first phase.

In the first phase, the OSNA and RCM would jointly organise a two-day function beginning December 6 to revive and promote the ''Jhumpa'' and ''Harikatha'' dance form of Ganjam,''Sapteswar Pata'' of Sambalpur and ''Chadhei Naach'' of Balasore.

RCM Director Prabir Pal said the college had earmarked Rs five lakh--Rs two lakh for research and three lakh for demonstration, during the current year.

The college would bear the expenses of a scholar for research on dying art and publish souvenir, he said.

UNI