JAGATSINGHPUR: Newly-appointed Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Chandi Prasad Mohanty on Thursday took a walk down his ancestral village as well the memory lane. Mohanty visited native Jayabada and interacted with villagers who were elated to see the son of the soil.
“I am delighted to visit the place where I spent my formative years. I relived my childhood memories by talking to friends and relatives. I was able to reach this position in the Indian Army with the blessings of my parents. If my mother was alive today, she would have been overjoyed with my new appointment,” he said.
Mohanty, who will assume charge of his new post on January 31, also visited Maa Sarala temple and paid his obeisance to the Goddess.
The new Vice Chief of Army Staff was born in Jayabada and studied in the local primary school till Class III. He was also a student of Bagashai Upper Primary School till Class VI before taking admission in Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC), Dehradun and later in National Defence Academy. He joined the Army as a second lieutenant in the Rajput Regiment.
His father Jitendra Kishore Mohanty is a retired government employee while his mother, late Sarada Kumari Mohanty, was a professor in Odia department of SVM College.
His brother Kali Prasad Mohanty works as general manager in Panipat Refinery while his second sibling Devi Prasad Mohanty is an advocate.
Mohanty’s neighbour Ambika Prasad said the entire village is proud of ‘Chandi Prasad’s’ achievement. “Despite staying outside, he was always in touch with the village. He and his family keep visiting the village every year. It is a matter of great joy for us,” he added.
Similarly, friend Debendra Mallick said, “We are so happy with his feat that it is difficult to express our feelings in words. We had never thought that a son of our village will one day become the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.”
On the day, Mohanty also met Jagatsinghpur Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra. Collector Mohapatra said, “I wished him for his new responsibility and requested him to visit Jagatsinghpur again after taking charge as the Vice Chief of Army Staff. He urged people to join the Army and serve the nation.”
Among others, local MLA Prasant Muduli and president of district unit of the Congress Natabar Barik greeted him.