Senior BJP MLA and former minister Jay Narayan Mishra has stoked a controversy by saying that the merger of Sambalpur with Odisha in 1936 was a blunder.

Odisha was formed as a separate province in 1936 by incorporating Odia-speaking regions of Bengal, Bihar and Madras provinces.

Mishra represents the Sambalpur Assembly seat and Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan represents the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency.

Mishra's statement has put the Mohan Charan Majhi government in a spot.

Addressing a meeting at Sambalpur on the disbursement of ₹5,000 to the beneficiaries of the Subhadra Yojana on Saturday, Mishra said: "The people of Sambalpur should know that Odisha as a separate state was formed following the integration of Utkal, Koshal and Kalinga regions. Utkal region comprises only Cuttack, Puri and Balasore. It is not proper to hail only Utkal and forget Koshal and Kalinga regions."

In the ancient times, Sambalpur was a part of Koshal.

He did not stand up when the state song Bande Utkal Janani (Hail Utkal, the motherland) was sung. Utkal is the ancient name of modern-day Odisha. Bande Utkal Janani was written by eminent poet Laxmikanta Mohapatra in 1912 and was first sung at the Utkal Sammilani in Balasore in 1912.

Mishra said Sambalpur, too, had a major contribution in the formation of Odisha as a separate province. “But in Bande Utkal Janani, there is no mention of Koshal. Why should we praise Utkal? Why should the Bande Utkal Janani be sung during every state function?” he said.

He also claimed that the people of Sambalpur have been exploited since their merger with Odisha. "We have been exploited in every sector — mining, agriculture, forest and service. We have been denied our cultural rights. The integration of Koshal with Odisha was a historic blunder."

A senior BJP leader said: "Mishra was earlier a minister during the BJD-BJP coalition government. He did not raise the issue at that time. He is creating all sorts of trouble for the Majhi government after being left out of the government."

Ex-minister Ananta Das no more

Former minister and senior BJD leader Ananta Das passed away at his residence here on Sunday morning. He was 85.

The former minister’s family said he had been suffering from age-related ailments for a long time. Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and BJD president Naveen Patnaik condoled his demise.

Born in Kuruthia village under Bhograi block in 1940, Das held a postgraduate degree in Arts and a law degree. He served as an officer of the Odisha Administrative Service and joined politics after retirement. He retired as an additional district magistrate, Bhadrak.

He was the founder of Bhograi Vikash Parishad.

Das, who represented the Bhograi Assembly constituency four times, was first elected in 2004 on a BJD ticket. He won the seat three more times. He served as the minister for higher education and industry in the Naveen Patnaik government and also held the position of BJD chief whip.