Sambad organises Rangoli competition in Odisha capital

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to bring families of hawkers associated with Odisha’s leading daily together, Sambad Group organised a rangoli competition to highlight their hidden artistic talents.

Over 200 family members of hawkers distributing Sambad newspaper in the state capital had participated in the competition held at Buxi Jagabandhu English Medium School (BJEM) School on Sunday.

While Arpita Pandav emerged first, Gouri Prusty and Janaki Jena stood second and third respectively in the competition.

Besides, the meritorious children of hawkers, who achieved success in annual Matriculation and Plus II examinations last year, were provided scholarship during the programme.

“We used to felicitate the students having successfully cleared the examinations with 90 percent, 80 percent and 60 percent every year. This year, many students were also conferred with rewards for their success in academic careers. As Sambad is the No.1 newspaper, the hawkers, who are distributing it, can never be placed second,” said Sambad Editor Soumya Ranjan Patnaik.

Worth mentioning, Sambad has been organising the disbursal of scholarship and rangoli competition since a couple of years to acknowledge the contribution of hawkers in making the newspaper as the largest circulated daily in Odisha.

“We have been organising the rangoli competition since past 5-6 years. As the initiative received much appreciation, it is being continued every year. Also, the scholarship handed over to the students was a long-standing idea to connect with Sambad Family,” said Sambad Group Managing Director Monica Nayyar Patnaik.

During the programme, Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board Chairperson Subash Singh announced that like other construction workers, the newspaper hawkers will also be entitled to receive all kinds of benefits under various welfare schemes by the state government.

“We are providing them the identity cards meant for all workers engaged in the unorganised sector across the state so that they will avail some basic benefits under social security schemes. The beneficiaries under the scheme will receive Rs 2 lakh for death due to accident, Rs 1 lakh for natural death and Rs 1 lakh for permanent disability. They will also be covered under Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana. They are being registered under the schemes free of cost by the Labour Department,” Singh said in his address.

Among others, Sambad Feature Editor Gourahari Das and CGM (News) Arabinda Das were present on the occasion.