Cuttack: On the eve of the birth centenary celebrations of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi unveiled a 10-foot tall bronze statue of the former Prime Minister in Cuttack on Tuesday.
“It is a matter of great pride and honour for all of us to celebrate the birth centenary of Vajpayee, who had immensely contributed to the development of Odisha and the entire country”, Majhi said.
Recalling Vajpayee’s visit to Odisha after the 1999 super cyclone, Majhi said that Vajpayee had then told, “Funds will never be a constraint for rebuilding Odisha”. The CM pointed out that Vajpayee's words are still etched in the minds of the people of the state.
The statue of Vajpayee, weighing about 10 quintals, has been installed on a lotus-shaped pedestal near Judicial Academy at the Belleview square here. Eminent sculptor Laxmidhar Rana has crafted the statue under the supervision of artist Sanjib Biswal.
Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Odisha minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Cuttack mayor Subash Singh, local MP Bhartruhari Mahatab and MLA Sofia Firdous were among those present on the occasion.
As part of the celebrations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Madhya Pradesh, Vajpayee's birthplace, on Wednesday and inaugurate a host of projects in Khajuraho. He will also release a commemorative stamp and coin marking Vajpayee's birth centenary.
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