Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was conferred with the prestigious Capital Foundation Lifetime Achievement award at a function in New Delhi on Sunday for his leadership and contribution to the development of Odisha.
Former Chief Justice of India Justice N V Ramana presented the award to Patnaik.
Receiving the award the Chief Minister said ’ I feel honoured that I have been chosen for the award and dedicated the award to the 4.5 crore people of Odisha for continuously blessing him to serve them for the past 22 years.
He said ‘’ I humbly accept this Lifetime Achievement Award, my lifetime’s achievement will be to see an Empowered and Spirited Odisha claiming her place_ in the Sun. We are on the right path and by Lord Jagannath’s grace and the support of our people we shall get there soon.’’
Patnaik said after the supercyclone of 1999 who would have thought that Odisha will set global benchmarks in disaster management and get awarded by the United Nations.
Odisha known for ‘poverty’ is now known for the fastest ‘poverty reduction’ in our country, he said.
The Governance model of the state, the Chief Minister said, is rooted in the empowerment of women ‘ Misson Shakti’ is something which the state is proud of.
The Chief Minister said Similarly empowerment of tribal communities has always been close to ‘’my heart ‘’ and Odisha leads the country in providing land rights under the Forest Dwellers Act. More than half a million tribal girls study in government-run hostels.
Farmers have always been the backbone of the state and their hard work has fetched the state the Krishi Karman award four times. Odisha is the only state to have doubled farmer’s incomes, Patnaik said.
He said Odisha produces the maximum Steel and Aluminium for the country.
Odisha increasing her steel production by nearly 10 times in the last 2 decades has helped the country during the Covid crisis. Odisha supplied life-saving oxygen to 17 states during the Covid pandemic. In the manufacturing sector, Odisha attracts the maximum investment in the country, Patnaik said.
Odisha, he said, is set to host the Hockey World Cup twice in a row and has set up high-performance centres in various sports, Odisha the sports capital of India has set standards for other states to follow. Skilled in Odisha is a brand which not just Odisha but the country is proud of.
Land rights for slum dwellers in urban areas made global urban planners rethink and have a serious look at the model of empowering slum dwellers in the state.
The path-breaking health initiative ‘Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana’ provides near-universal health
assurance to more than 80 per cent of people in the state.
The 5T principles and MO Sarakar initiatives have strengthened peoples faith in ‘professional governance with a humane face’ the Chief Minister said.
