Bhubaneswar, Mar 17: Senior BJP leader Dilip Ray has reiterated the need to confer the nation’s highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna on former Odisha Chief Minister and legendary statesman Biju Patnaik.
In a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital on Wednesday, Ray urged the former to consider the long standing demand of the people of Odisha.
He discussed with Prime Minister Modi various other issues and political developments related to the State in the meeting.
He informed the Prime Minister that the State is celebrating the birth centenary of the legendary leader. Ray said people of Odisha are sentimentally attached to the former Chief Minister and conferment of the honour would be befitting for the leader.
Earlier, the Rourkela MLA had written to the Prime Minister in this regard.
“Biju Patnaik was one of the rare breed of leaders whose field of action was not confined to the State or National, but transcended the International arena,” Ray has said in his letter.
The BJP lawmaker said people, irrespective of their political affiliations and ideologies in the State, were united in demanding the Bharat Ratna for Biju Patnaik.
During the meeting Ray also sought Modi’s intervention on medical college at Rourkela.
He urged the Prime Minister to expedite the construction of proposed medical college and super specialty hospital at Rourkela.
He reminded Modi of his pre-election meeting at Rourkela where he (Modi) had laid emphasis on the need for a medical college and super specialty hospital in this part of Oisha, where health care facility is below par when compared to other cities.
