Report by OD bureau, Bhubaneswar: Rrenowned exponent of the flute, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia has inaugurated Voice of SOA Community, the Community Radio set up by the Siksha 'O' Anusandhan University (SOAU) today.

 Inaugurating the Community Radio, Pandit Chaurasia suggested the students busy with their careers to make out some time for music. Pandit Chaurasia who had started his career as a musician at the All India Radio, Cuttack, recalled his association with Odisha and how his career commenced decades back in Odisha.

“With this launch the radio station the University had provided a voice to the community”, remarked SOA Vice Chancellor Rajendra Prasad Mohanty. The radio station is to broadcast music, discussions on education, health, environment and sports programmes for eight hours daily that will be repeated after 6 pm.

Veteran painter Jatin Das, actor Bijoy Mohanty along with Chairman of the National Cricket Academy Ranjib Biswal was present on the occasion. Artist Jatin Das commented on lack of patronisation of classical art and music in mass. “The new community radio station will serve the people of the city and its neighbourhood”, he underlined.

Though Odisha has four Community Radio Stations, all are NGO operated. Voice of SOA Community 90.4 FM will be the first CR to operate from a campus. With this, Voice of SOA Community 90.4 FM will join the elite group of the education institutes having CR in campus. There are only 11 universities in India having their own in campus CR station.