In a letter to CM Naveen Patnaik, Shashanka Sekhar Dash, popularly known as the Paperman India, has requested him to take steps to set up a newspaper museum in Odisha with the initial contribution of his collection of over 10,000 newspapers of more than 5,100 different titles from 153 countries and 94 languages.
"With support of my family, I have started a newspaper museum and research centre in my father’s name. But the preservation work is not sufficient to store the history and heritage. I have olden copy of many Odisha as well as other States, national and international editions including copy The Statesman and The Times of India newspapers of 15th August 1947 (India Independent day). So, I want to donate all my collection of newspapers to establish a special newspaper museum in our State Odisha," said Dash in his letter.
He further said, "With my limited income I have gathered more than 10,000 newspapers of more than 5,100 different titles from 153 countries and 94 languages. I have tried my best to preserve these newspapers with polythene sheets but it’s not in the best. For that earlier I was awarded threectimes by Limca Book of Records (LBR), once from India Book of Records (IBR), once from OMG Book of Records and once from Credence Book of World Record (CBWR)."
He urged CM Patnaik to accept his request as there is not a single special museum in India of newspapers and if the Odisha Government starts a special museum of newspapers, then it will the first of its kind in India.