Bhubaneswar: Members of the Pravasi Odia Vikas Samiti (POVS) celebrated the 12th Pravasi Odia Diwas and Bisuba Milana with great fervour and enthusiasm at the Bharatiya Jansanchar Sansthan Auditorium in New Delhi.
During the celebration, attendees enjoyed traditional Odia cuisine and drinks, including pana, and showcased their love for Odissi and Sambalpuri dances.
Guest of honour Suresh Jain, National Organising Secretary of POVS, highlighted the importance of Odisha’s role in building a better India. He emphasised preserving the state’s cultural heritage and spirituality.
“If we want to build Odisha as a unique example of Vishwaguru Bharat, then it is essential to preserve the state’s fundamental fame, culture, and spirituality,” he opined. He emphasised that organisations like POVS play a crucial role in this endeavour.
Describing Odisha as a state of excellence in art, Jain said that Odisha’s contributions to India’s art, literature, and science are unparalleled.
POVS President Surya Narayan Mishra praised the contributions of Odias in various fields, citing examples of leaders like Dharmendra Pradhan, the current Education Minister of India.
Chinmay Mohanty, Vice-President of the organisation, highlighted the sacrifices and dedication of Odias, citing the examples of Baji Rout and Dharmapada.
The event honoured several individuals and organisations with the Pravasi Odia Samman, including former Jammu and Kashmir DGP Rashmi Ranjan Swain.
Debashish Satpathy, Chief General Manager of NBCC, and artist Kanhu Behera were awarded the Pravasi Odia Ratna Award. Dr. Vishnu Prasad Panigrahi received the Pravasi Arogya Gaurav Samman, while environmentalist Pradeep Kumar Das was honoured with the Pravasi Sabuj Samman.
The event also saw the release of POVS’s annual magazine, edited by Dr. Sailendra Swain. The celebration concluded with a vote of thanks by Priyadarshi Bala, Joint General Secretary of POVS.
Others who played a key role in managing the programme included Susanta Mohapatra, Piyush Mohapatra, Malaya Pradhan, and Santosh Rout, among others.
