Odisha pays tribute to Mahatma Gandhi on 150th birth anniversary

Bhubaneswar: People from all walks of life across Odisha paid homage to Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi on his 150th birth anniversary on Tuesday.

“Humble tributes to the beacon light of peace, non-violence on Gandhi Jayanti. The revered ahimsa icon’s immortal ideals for a just & equitable society will always be the guiding force for all of us,” tweeted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

The Chief Minister also paid tribute to former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri on his Jayanti.

“Remembering former PM Lal Bahadur Shastri on Jayanti. He was a great patriot and his golden words, “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan” will be a guiding force for generations to come for a powerful India,” tweeted Patnaik.

On the occasion, the Chief Minister kicked off the Gandhi Jyoti Yatra at the Gandhi Smruti Peeth at Balianta, on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

He also inaugurated a photo exhibition featuring Mahatma Gandhi’s visit to Odisha.

During his visit to Odisha, Gandhi had stayed at Balianta for three days.

He also inaugurated a new bridge named at Mahatma Gandhi Setu over the Kushabhadra River on Balianta-Balakati road constructed at a cost of Rs 27 crore. He also unveiled a statue of the Mahatma Gandhi near the bridge.

Earlier in the day, Naveen had offered floral tribute at the status of Mahatma Gandhi inside the State Assembly premises.

Among others, Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal, Speaker Pradip Kumar Amat, Health minister Pratap Jena, Tourism minister Ashok Chandra Panda and several eminent personalities were present.

Notably, the Odisha Government has decided to organise a number of programmes for the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi which will be celebrated for two years from today.