President Ram Nath Kovind on Saturday awarded the Padma Shri award to three personalities from Odisha, Devarapalli Prakash Rao, Kalama Pujari and Daitari Naik.
Prakash Rao, who is a tea seller in Cuttack, was conferred the nation’s fourth highest civilian award for his social works including providing free education to slum children by running a school for them in Cuttack.
Daitari Naik from Keonjhar district was conferred Padma Shri in recognition of his exemplary endeavour in providing irrigation to farmland in his area by cutting hills to bring water.
Besides, Kalama Pujari received the award for her excellent contribution in agriculture.
Notably, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s sister Gita Mehta was selected for Padma Shri for her contribution in ‘Literature and Education’ as an NRI. However, she declined to accept the award, saying that the timing of the award months before the general elections may be misconstrued.
The awards are announced on the Republic Day every year and conferred by the President at ceremonial functions at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in March.