BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Friday said Utkal Keshari Harekrushna Mahtab took the lead in integrating princely states with the Union of India, which was given concrete shape later by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Addressing a state level function organised by the Odia Language, Literature and Culture department to celebrate the 126th birth anniversary of the renowned statesman here, the chief minister said Mahtab was is not just a name but a thought and inspiration for development.
“When we take pride in modern Odisha’s achievements such as the Hirakud Dam, the capital city Bhubaneswar, Rourkela Steel Plant, Utkal University, Orissa High Court, Rice Research Center at Bidyadharpur in Cuttack, and Cuttack Radio Station, we must remember that behind all these glorious feats lies the touch of Mahtab’s vision and leadership,” he said.
Majhi said that Mahtab was not just a dreamer but a doer, who, as the first chief minister of Odisha after independence, turned his ideals into reality. He knew that political freedom alone was not enough; true freedom meant liberation from hunger, poverty, disease, and ignorance. “Mahtab laid the foundation for planned development in the state,” Majhi said.
The chief minister said that the state government is drawing inspiration from the leadership of such great leader to build a prosperous and developed Odisha.
The government is working towards fighting poverty, ensuring universal healthcare through Ayushman Bharat and Gopabandhu Jan Arogya Yojana, empowering women through the Subhadra Yojana, transforming education through the National Education Policy, 2020 and the Godabarish Mishra Adarsh Primary School Yojana, and strengthening the industrial sector with an investment of `17 lakh crore. In addition, the government is working towards irrigation, livelihood security and increasing farmers’ income through schemes like Samruddha Krushak Yojana.
A photo exhibition based on Mahatab’s biography was organised on the occasion. The chief minister also awarded the winners of the Dr Harekrushna Mahtab memorial lecture competition. He released several books on the former chief minister, including ‘Mahtab ‘O’ Prajatantra Sampadakiya’, ‘Mahtab Jayanti Smarka 2025’ and ‘Harekrushna Mahatab’.
