BHUBANESWAR/ DHENKANAL: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday paid tributes to Shaheed Baji Rout, India’s youngest martyr, on his birth centenary at Nilakanthapur in Dhenkanal district.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister said, “At just 12, Baji Rout faced British bullets head-on, inspiring youths with his heroism. He is not just Odisha’s pride but the pride of the entire nation. We should always draw inspiration from his sacrifice and dedication.”
He garlanded the martyr’s memorial and inaugurated a photo and sand art exhibition dedicated to him.
“Baji Rout’s ideals of duty, conviction and sacrifice should guide the youths in building a strong and self-reliant Odisha,” he said.
To commemorate the occasion, Majhi announced that a road in Bhubaneswar will be named after Baji Rout.
Besides, new welfare schemes will be launched in his name to keep his ideals alive.
He also informed that Nilakanthapur village, Baji Rout’s birthplace, is being developed as a model ‘Baraputra Adarsh Gram’.
The chief minister laid the foundation stone for a sports complex named after Baji Rout in Dhenkanal which will be built at a cost of Rs 120 crore. “The complex will help strengthen sports infrastructure in the district,” he said.
Majhi said the birth and death anniversaries of noted freedom fighters and eminent personalities of the state will henceforth be observed at their respective birthplaces rather than in Bhubaneswar.
The chief minister announced that Dhenkanal is set to receive over Rs 50,000 crore in industrial investments, including a Rs 30,000 crore solar energy project which will make the district one of the leading solar energy hubs of the state.
“These upcoming projects will generate about 26,400 direct and indirect jobs, ensuring that local youths find employment within the state,” he added.
During the event, Majhi felicitated Baji Rout’s descendants and family members of the participants of the Prajamandal movement. He also released a book titled ‘Dhenkanal Ganasangramara Amar Shaheed Baji Rout’, published by Sahitya Akademi, which will be distributed to schools across the district.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, Higher Education and Culture Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Dhenkanal MP Rudra Narayan Pany and local MLAs Bibhuti Pradhan, Seemarani Nayak and Satrughna Jena were present.