By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: The Pakhala Dibasa 2026 event, which the government spent approximately ₹2.32 crore on, was managed by a company called Colorplus. This company was registered as a company in February 2025.
On its website, it is stated that this company managed the event of the swearing-in ceremony of the state government. This company claims to have about 15-20 leading companies in the country as its clients. There must be high-level experience and personalities behind this company, otherwise a new company would not have been able to get such a big job.
For Pakhala Dibasa 2026, the Odisha government spent approximately ₹2.32 crore (₹2,31,92,117).
This was for the official state-level celebration organized by the Odisha Tourism Department, which included a Guinness World Record attempt for the largest serving of pakhala (fermented rice dish). The event took place around March 20, 2026 (Pakhala Dibasa), at Panthanivas in Bhubaneswar, serving over 1 tonne of pakhala to promote Odia cuisine.
Key Expenditure Breakdown (approximate figures from reports):
Odisha Tourism Development Corporation (OTDC): ₹1.54 crore (including supervision charges of 8-10% + GST).
Event management agency: ₹77.88 lakh (including GST).
Guinness World Records fee: ₹31.35 lakh.
Food arrangements: ₹9.44 lakh.
Panthanivas-related expenses: ₹9.43 lakh.
Souvenirs and related materials: ₹7.59 lakh.
Air travel: ₹2.92 lakh (plus nearly ₹2 lakh for hotel accommodation).
The event achieved a Guinness record by preparing and serving about 1,177 kg of pakhala (using 850 kg of rice) to over 2,000 people, with leftovers distributed to underprivileged communities via the Robin Hood Army.
This spending has sparked public debate and scrutiny regarding the use of public funds for the event, especially given pakhala’s image as a simple, humble dish.
