BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Wednesday released two coffee table books documenting the journey of Speaker Surama Padhy over the last two years. He also inaugurated a physiotherapy centre aimed at providing healthcare services to legislators, former members and Assembly employees.
The books, ‘Presiding with Purpose - Two Years Legislative Journey of Speaker Surama Padhy’ and ‘Two Years of Transformative Leadership Under Speaker Surama Padhy’, were released in the presence of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker Bhabani Shankar Bhoi.
Addressing the gathering, the chief minister said the publications chronicle the Assembly’s legislative milestones, digitisation of parliamentary procedures and major institutional initiatives undertaken during the Speaker’s tenure.
Majhi said the books, richly illustrated with photographs, would serve as valuable reference material for students, researchers and citizens interested in parliamentary democracy, while enhancing the prestige of the Odisha Assembly.
“The books capture significant events such as orientation programmes for first-time legislators, national and international parliamentary conferences, visits by legislative committees from other states and President Droupadi Murmu’s maiden address to the Odisha Assembly, describing it as a landmark moment in the state’s parliamentary history,” said the chief minister. He expressed confidence that the Assembly, under the leadership of Speaker Padhy, would emerge as a model legislature for other states.
Speaking on the occasion, Padhy said the coffee table books document the Assembly’s activities over the last two years, including legislative reforms, capacity-building programmes, conferences of presiding officers, committee meetings and Odisha’s participation in international parliamentary forums such as the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.
The newly-inaugurated physiotherapy centre, established in collaboration with the Health and Family Welfare department, will be staffed by doctors and paramedical personnel from Capital Hospital and the National Institute for Rehabilitation Training and Research (NIRTAR). The facility will cater to sitting and former legislators, their family members and Assembly staff.
Majhi said the centre would be particularly beneficial for elderly former legislators as they can seek specialised physiotherapy services within the Assembly premises. Deputy chief minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Revenue minister Suresh Pujari, legislators and senior Assembly officials were present at the event.