SAMBALPUR: Union Education Minister and Sambalpur MP Dharmendra Pradhan paid rich tributes to Dr BR Ambedkar on his birth anniversary at Thelkopada here on Monday.
Addressing people after garlanding the statue of Dr Ambedkar, Pradhan said, “Our democracy has received a great gift in the form of the Constitution from Babasaheb. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the country is realising the vision of equality, freedom and fraternity that Babasaheb had envisioned.”
He further said Dr Ambedkar was a people’s hero. Babasaheb was a great patriot and the pioneer of the institution of mathematics in independent India. He dedicated his life towards upliftment and empowerment of the poor, deprived, marginalised and economically-backward classes.
Taking a dig at the previous UPA government, Pradhan claimed during the 60 years of Congress rule, people hesitated to even utter Babasaheb’s name. He was consistently side-lined and after his death, the Congress attempted to erase his legacy.
The union minister lauded the BJP-led government for reviving and honouring Dr Ambedkar’s legacy. “Since 2014, Prime Minister Modi has not only decided to carry forward Babasaheb’s ideas but also developed places associated with him into ‘Panchteerthas’. Our government prioritises the development of all communities - poor, deprived, exploited, backward classes and women alike,” he said.
Later in the day, Pradhan participated in the Meru Yatra celebration at Khubel of Rairakhol and Hirakud on the occasion of Maha Vishuba Sankranti. He also launched a number of agricultural initiatives aimed at strengthening the rural economy.
On the day, Pradhan inaugurated a state-of-the-art floriculture polyhouse in Jujumura block to boost rural infrastructure and strengthen agricultural economy in western Odisha. He also laid the foundation stone for a new agriculture marketing yard in the block.
The polyhouse facility of Sabujasanatanpali Farmer Producer Company Limited has been developed in collaboration with the CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow. Designed to promote high-value crop cultivation, it is part of a broader effort to introduce climate-resilient and sustainable farming practices in the region, particularly in the floriculture sector.