CM urges Diaspora to be part of Odisha’s development

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Dec 28:

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday called upon Odias worldwide to become part of the development process in the state.

He was speaking at the valedictory ceremony of the Global Odias’ Conclave organized by ‘Aseema Odisha’ – the apex body of Odia organizations worldwide here this evening.

“Odias living outside have excelled in every field. But there is nothing to match the joy of doing something for the people back home, he said.

Recalling the glorious history of Odisha, Patnaik said the state was once a pioneer in maritime trade and has a rich tradition of art, culture and literature.

Addressing the non-resident Odias representing various parts of the country and the world at large, Justice Bimal Prasad Das, former Judge of Odisha High Court and Member of the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal, called for redefining the Odia identity through introspection on our tremendous potential. He lauded the excellence exhibited by Odias across the globe and expressed hope that association of Odias worldwide would work together to keep Odisha’s flag flying high all over the world.

At the outset, Chief Coordinator of Aseema Odisha and Convenor of Global Odias’ Conclave Kshirod Kumar Jena traced the growth of the federation named Odisha without Borders (OwB) and said that this has evolved as a magnificent endeavor to unite Odias staying in major cities of India and abroad.

The Chief Mentor of Aseema Odisha Nihar Ranjan Samantara and President of the Global Conclave Suryaprakash Mohapatra elaborated on the growth trajectory of the state sin the last two decades and said the momentum needs to be sustained to ensure Odias’ march towards a glorious future.

Eminent Odias who have made their mark in various fields – from literature to sports – were honored on this occasion.

The conclave was inaugurated in the morning in the presence of eminent personalities like Justice Arijit Pasayat, Former Judge, Supreme Court of India and Vice Chairperson of the SIT on black money, Union Minister for Tribal affairs Jual Oram, Minister Industries, School and Mass Education, Debi Prasad Mishra and Member of Parliament Baijayant Panda.

Two Panel discussions on the themes – ‘Entrepreneurship Development’ and ‘Evolving of Brand Odisha’ – were held to mark the conclave. The eminent panelists who took part in the deliberations included global petrochemical expert Padma Shri RN Bastia, Lead Economist of World Bank Dr Dillip Rath, Director Finance of NTPC Kulamani Biswal, Former ADG of BSF PK Mishra, Media Icon Jaggi Mangat Panda, Rameshram Mishra, former Additional Chief Secretary to Govt of Tamil Nadu and Brand Expert Harish Bijoor.