Petroleum minister inaugurates Heritage Gate at Sisupalgarh

Bhubaneswar: Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday inaugurated the Heritage Gate of the historic city of Sisupalgarh.

He also distributed assistive devices to over 100 differently abled persons (Divyangjan) of Cuttack district in a function here in the presence of GAIL (India) Limited Director (HR) M Ravindran, and other senior dignitaries.

The construction of the Heritage Gate at a cost of Rs 50 lakhs and free distribution of assistive devices to Divyangjan were carried out under GAIL’s Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.

Pradhan said the construction of the Heritage Gate would be a reminder of the rich glory and heritage of Sisupalgarh and help promote tourism and economic growth in the region.

Excavations at Sisupalgarh provide evidence that this was the legendary city of Kalinganagara and the ruins go back to as early as 3rd century B.C. The city pre-dates the Mauryan era and even finds mention in the ancient Indian treatise Arthashastra.

During the function, Pradhan distributed 28 motorized tricycles, 14 tricycles, 34 wheelchairs, 24 BTE hearing aids, two Rollators, a tablet and a Daisy Player along with batteries to identified beneficiaries of Cuttack district.

He said these aids and devices shall not only be a major help and support to the people of the region with disabilities but also give them hope for a better life.

The devices were distributed under GAIL CSR’s Sashakt initiative, a key focus area of GAIL identified to address the needs of the differently abled and the aged who comprise a major chunk of those at the margins of society.

GAIL had tied up with M/s Artificial Limbs Manufacturing Corporation of India (ALIMCO) which had held an assessment camp in Cuttack in May 2016 to identify people in the requirement of aids and assistive devices. The 104 beneficiaries were identified in coordination with the district authorities of Cuttack.