Odia students, who have undertaken a cycle rally from the Santiniketan in West Bengal to Satyabadi in Puri to promote Odia language in Odisha, were felicitated by various organisations here on Saturday. Felicitating the students, Bhasa Suraksha Sammilani convenor Baishnab Parida said patriotism and admiration towards Odia language by the Santiniketan students would inspire the students and youth of Odisha in a greater way.
Similarly, the Utkal Sammilani organised a felicitation meeting, where noted linguist Debi Prasanna Patnaik felicitated the students. The meeting was chaired by Sammilani Mancheswar Industrial Estate branch head Dillip Dashsharma Odia teacher Dr Indramani Sahoo and students from the Santiniketan, Sammilani State vice-president Ananta Prasad Jena, general secretary Adwaita Patra and Bhubaneswar branch head Bibhuti Mishra stressed on the need for increasing the usage of Odia and appointment of Odia teachers from school to university levels to promote and safeguard the regional language.