Odisha CM renames Phulbani Medical College after Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati

The initiatives were aimed at preserving the historical and cultural significance of the ashram while strengthening educational infrastructure in the tribal-dominated district

Published on: Jul 28, 2026, 11:51:56 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi announced the renaming of the Government Medical College and Hospital in Kandhamal district after Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati.

Saraswati, a senior VHP leader who spent decades working in Kandhamal, was shot dead on August 23, 2008. (@MohanMOdisha | Official X account)

Making this announcement on Monday night, Majhi said the medical college in Phulbani town of Kandhamal will be renamed in honour of Saraswati’s contribution to tribal welfare and education in the district.

The state government will also provide ₹13 crore from the Chief Minister’s Special Assistance Fund for the development of the Jalespata ashram, its school and girls’ hostel.

The allocation includes ₹5 crore for construction of a 300-seat girls’ hostel, ₹3 crore for preservation and development of the ashram heritage site and ₹60 lakh for a river lift water supply project serving the ashram, school and hostel. The remaining funds will be used to build classrooms, toilets, hostel buildings, boundary walls and renovate existing facilities.

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The initiatives were aimed at preserving the historical and cultural significance of the ashram while strengthening educational infrastructure in the tribal-dominated district, the CM said.

Saraswati, a senior VHP leader who spent decades working in Kandhamal, was shot dead on August 23, 2008, when armed assailants stormed his Jalespata ashram and opened fire, killing him and four associates. The assailants fired around 50 rounds before fleeing.

His assassination sparked widespread communal violence across Kandhamal, leaving at least 39 people dead and hundreds of churches damaged or destroyed. Around 800 criminal cases were registered in connection with the violence.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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