Odisha announces Rs 10k monthly allowance for Padma Shri awardees

Bhubaneswar: The news of Odisha’s mountain man and Padma Shri Daitari Nayak struggling to eke out a living had shaken everybody in the State. After reports of Naik’s struggle and his wish to return the Padma Shri, Odisha government has now geared up to lend a helping hand.

Not only Naik, State government has decided to provide a financial assistance of Rs 10,000 per month to all the Padma Shri awardees belonging to economically weaker section (EWS).

The State Culture Department had undertaken a special drive to identify the total number of Padma Shri awardees in Odisha. As per official sources, 84 people have been awarded Padma Shri in Odisha and already 45 of them have died. Among the rest, a few are facing financial distress. Hence, the State government has decided to provide a monthly financial assistance of Rs 10,000 to them.

Daitari Naik was felicitated with the Padma Shri for single-handedly carving out a 3-km-long canal from a mountain stream with a hoe and a crowbar to irrigate agricultural land in his village.

Naik had recently wished to return the award citing that people are not giving him work as he was a Padma Shri awardee.