The Dakshin Odisha Unnayan Parishad (DOUP) has demanded that one of the forefront makers of Odisha and its first Prime Minister Kruhsna Chandra Gajapati be given Bharat Ratna posthumously soon.
“The State Government should initiate requires steps and place the demand before the Union Government for awarding Bharat Ratna to Krushna Chandra Gajapati,” demanded DOUP president Prof Debi Prasad Ray at the Parishad’s annual meeting held here on Saturday.
He too urged the Government to celebrate Odisha’s another maker the then Jeypore Maharaja Bikramdeb Burma’s birthday every year and install a life-size statue in the capital city. Besides, he demanded that a major road of the city be named after Burma.
Stating that the then State Government had, at the inauguration ceremony of Cuttack General Hospital on February 22, 1946, promised to provide Rs 1,30,000 for establishment of a Outpatient Department Bhawan at Jeypore and Burma had given Rs 30,000 for the purpose, Ray too demanded that the project should be executed now.
Higher Education and Science Minister Dr Pradip Kumar Panigrahy gracing the occasion as guest highlighted the State Government’s commitments for development of the south Odisha. MP Balabhadra Majhi said rail connectivity to the region is going on and many other developmental works need to undertaken.
Parishad secretary Basant Kumar Mishra emphasized on constitution of a South Odisha Development Council in line with the WODC for furthering development of the State’s south region.
On the occasion, seven noted persons belonging to south Odisha were felicitated. They are social activist Dr Ratan Das, litterateur Dr Amulya Kumar Panda, President awardee weightlifter Ravi Kumar, athlete Shrabani Nanda, Rajesh Hasdak and weightlifters Pramila Krisani and Ramesh Kumar Garada.