BHUBANESWAR : Angul-based Sathee Parivar and Balangir Gramodyog Samiti were honoured with the Shambhavi Puraskar 2026, instituted by the Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF), here on Saturday.
The 13th edition of the award carried a `5 lakh cash prize, a citation and a crest. Sathee Parivar was recognised for preventing snakebite fatalities in Angul district through community awareness, government partnerships and village-level response teams. It has trained over 9,800 volunteers and helped save 490 lives in the last three years.
Balangir-based BGS was honoured for empowering marginalised communities. Since 2020, the organisation has driven agricultural transformation in 29 villages of Tureikela block in partnership with the Agriculture department, supporting 3,612 farmers with training, inputs and market linkages.
Deputy chief minister Pravati Parida and Jayant Rastogi, Global CEO of Magic Bus India Foundation, presented the awards. The Jury Commendation Certification, carrying a cash award of Rs 1 lakh, was presented to Dr Sasmita Meher of Bargarh for her contribution to Odisha’s textile heritage. The Shambhavi Youth Icon Award went to Sarmilata Pradhan and Yamuna Pradhan, siblings from Jiridikia village in Kandhamal district, who are empowering local girls through football and raising awareness against child marriage.
Speaking on the occasion, Parida said transformational work in small pockets of the state can drive real change. “Small efforts can go a long way in making a big impact. Initiatives of grassroots champions in social development have strengthened the government’s fight against social evils like child marriage and malnutrition,” she said, urging youth to address growing mental health issues in society. Rastogi said sustaining development work for 15 years is not easy, but BIPF has demonstrated its commitment by recognising and supporting grassroots leadership.
BIPF founder and CEO Shaifalika Panda said she was humbled to recognise the winners. “Development at its core is about people, and when changemakers join hands, we create a robust ecosystem for systemic change,” she said.
The foundation also marked 15 years of its journey with a coffee-table book, unveiled by deputy CM Parida on the occasion. Instituted in 2013, the Shambhavi Puraskar celebrates individuals and organisations working at the grassroots level to create transformative social impact.