Berhampur: It has been thirty-three years since the establishment of Gajapati as Odisha’s 14th district, created in honor of Parala Maharaja Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapati. However, the aspiration for progress remains unrealized. Gajapati district was officially formed on October 2, 1992, from a portion of Ganjam district. It is named after Maharaja Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapati Narayan Dev, the first prime minister of Odisha and the ruler of the Paralakhemundi estate. The district is characterized by its fragile hills, frequent landslides, inadequate public services, and a declining heritage, making it a region rooted in history yet hindered by neglect.
Former chief minister Biju Patnaik had envisioned Paralakhemundi as a symbol of balanced regional development, but Gajapati now tells a story of unmet expectations. Since its inception, the district has experienced the leadership of 32 Collectors, starting with Santosh Kumar Mishra as the inaugural Collector. Nevertheless, substantial development continues to elude the region. With over 129 identified landslide-prone areas and poor connectivity through its hilly landscape, the infrastructure is deteriorating under environmental pressures. Each Dasara season brings renewed fears of natural disasters. Roads are often impassable, healthcare services are insufficient, and aspirations for higher education, including a long-awaited Medical College and B Ed institution, remain unfulfilled.
The historic SKCG Autonomous College, one of the oldest in Odisha, is still awaiting a transition to university status. Railway connectivity reflects a narrative of incomplete progress; although the Naupada–Gunupur line is operational, double-tracking and inter-state express links are stagnant, and the Gunupur–Theruvalli line exists only in proposal. Despite the region’s abundant natural resources and tourism possibilities, including the mystical peaks of Mahendragiri and rich biodiversity, Gajapati continues to lag in industrial and tourism infrastructure. Ongoing border disputes with Andhra Pradesh and underutilized irrigation from the Mahendratanaya and Bansadhara rivers have severely impacted agricultural productivity, resulting in over 1,000 hectares of land being left barren and prompting mass migration.
Teacher and activist Binod Jena expresses significant concerns: “Unless irrigation is bolstered by restoring the district’s seven traditional tanks or sagars, along with attracting industry, our socio-economic development will remain stagnant.” Meanwhile, historical sites such as the 18th-century Parala Maharaja’s Palace are in disrepair, with its crumbling Darbar Hall symbolizing Gajapati’s diminishing stature. Women’s literacy rates are still below 50 percent, highlighting a persistent gender divide despite numerous initiatives and campaigns. Once seen as a model district, Gajapati now seeks not sympathy but a dedicated plan for revitalization, honoring the vision of Parala Maharaja Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapati, the architect of modern Odisha.
Only time will reveal whether this overlooked district can rejuvenate from the remnants of its royal history into a future of genuine progress.
