BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to institute a prize in the name of poet Kuntala Kumari Sabat to encourage talented youths and women working in the fields of literature and arts.
Announcing this at the State-level Utkal Divas function here, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said women played a key role in enriching Odia literature and culture.
Stating that Odisha Government is sincerely working to promote and protect Odia literature and language, the Chief Minister said Odia has already received the status of classical language and official work is being done in Odia. He said rules for Odisha Official Language Act, 1954 have been framed.
Chairs have been set up in established universities for higher research on Odia, he said and added that Odia Virtual Academy has been opened to promote Odia language and literature.
The Chief Minister paid rich tributes to Buxi Jagabandhu to mark the celebrations of two hundred years of Paika rebellion and said the first war of independence had started from Odisha. Describing Odisha as a happening State, he said there has been visible improvement in the fields of economy, industry, agriculture, health, infrastructure and sports.
Stating that women empowerment has been success story for Odisha, he said people have given power to more than 50,000 women elected representatives for development of the State. He said dalits and tribal people have been absorbed in the mainstream of society through various welfare schemes. The start-up policy announced by the Government has given rise to new hopes among the youths, he said.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Niranjan Pujari, presided over the meeting. Minister for Information and Public Relations (I&PR) Bikram Keshari Arukha, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Ashok Panda, BJD MP from Bhubaneswar Prasanna Patsani and Bhubaneswar Mayor Anant Narayan Jena attended the function. Secretary in the I&PR department Surendra Kumar read message from President Pranab Mukherjee, vice-president Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to mark the occasion.