Odishatv Bureau
Rourkela: Assam Governor J B Patnaik on Friday asked the people, specially technocrats, to read the glorious history of Orissa and think of the state`s future development to bring prosperity.

"We have a rich heritage, rich state known as Kalinga, from Ganga to Godavari, with glorious maritime history but we are poor on Friday," Patnaik said at a function at the National Institute of Technology-Rourkela here on the occasion of Orissa Day.

"People of Kalinga used to go to Java and Sumatra for trade and in many countries like Malaysia and Phillipines, people were impressed by Kalinga culture," he said.

"It is time to realise the past and move forward to remove poverty and hunger from Orissa and make it number one progressive state," the former Orissa chief minister said.

He said drought and flood were the main reasons of the underdevelopment in Orissa and underlined the need for effective irrigation system.

He said state boundary whether it is big or small does not matter, even small states like Punjab and Hariyana are considered as most developed states because of proper utilisation of resources and irrigation.

While Punjab registereed 97.5 per cent land irrigated, Haryana 86.4 per cent but Orissa remains 36 per cent, he said adding all efforts should be made for proper utilisation of rivers and water bodies.

Giving importance on small scale industries, Patnaik said a big steel plant will not make the area develop saying that Rourkela, Bhilai, Durgapur steel plants have not made the area fully developed and importance should be given for small and medium scale industries.

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