Three people from Odisha – Devarapalli Prakash Rao, Kalama Pujari and Daitari Naik were awarded the fourth highest civilian honour of our country – the Padma Shri. The names of the awardees were announced on Republic day, and they received the award recently.
- Prakash Rao is a tea seller in Cuttack. He runs a school named ‘Asha o Ashwasana’, where he teaches slum children besides providing nutritious food to them, free of cost. He has been praised in many programs for his noble deed including a mention in Prime Minister’s ‘Mann Ki Baat’.
- Daitari Naik, hailing from Keonjhar district, received recognition for carving out a kilometre long canal providing irrigation facilities to his village, which is otherwise dependent solely on rainwater. This 70-year old farmer took the responsibility in his own hands and found a solution for the lack of irrigation.
- Kamala Pujari from Koraput, known for promoting organic farming and preserving hundreds of local varieties of paddy, is also a member of the Odisha State Planning Board.
Gita Mehta, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s elder sister, was also listed for the recognition. But she had declined the award, citing unfavourable political timing for her nomination.