nUnion Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan unveiled a life-size statue of freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai in front of the airport here on Saturday. Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi joined the ceremony in virtual mode.
Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari, Brajrajnagar MLA Kishore Kumar Mohanty, Sambalpur MP Nitesh Ganga Deb, Rengali MLA Nauri Nayak, Sundargarh MLA Kusum Tete, Birmitrapur MLA Sankar Oram and Talsara MLA Bhabani Bhoi were present.
Minister Pradhan said installation of statue of Sai is a matter of great pride for Odisha, including Jharsuguda district. The commuters from various parts of the country and overseas would know the sacrifice of the great freedom fighter.
Pradhan assured to create a beautiful tourist spot in Sai’s in a few years with the joint efforts of the State and Central Governments.
Speaking on the occasion, State Health Minister and Jharsuguda MLA Naba Kishore Das thanked Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for providing sufficient land for the Jharsuguda airport free of cost and ensuring deployment of 19 firemen and creating suitable infrastructure at the airport.
Das said that on the birth anniversary of Veer Surendra Sai, the inauguration of his statue at the airport is a matter of pride for everybody.
Suresh Pujari regretted that Sai and many other freedom fighters are yet to be given their proper places in the Indian history.
Collector Saroj Kumar Samal, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) Director (Technical and Operation) OP Singh and Airport Director Kishore Kumar Senapati were also present.