BHUBANESWAR: Minutes after felicitated with the ‘best legislator award’ for 2015, six-time
BJD MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain on Friday donated his prize money for the Kerala flood victims.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik felicitated eight MLAs including Swain (for the year 2009-16) with Pandit Nilakantha Samman that carries Aa citation, a replica of the state assembly and a cash award of Rs 1 lakh.
“I am honoured for being adjudged as the best legislator for 2015. I have donated the prize money to Kerala chief minister’s distress relief fund through our chief minister,” the Athagarh MLA told reporters here.
Other MLAs who were felicitated with the award include Bishnu Charan Das (2009), Arun Sahoo (2010), Pravat Biswal (2011), Prafulla Majhi (2012), Amar Prasad Satpathy (2013), Pramila Mallik (2014) and Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik (2016).
Naveen also felicitated eight former MLAs with Utkal Gaurab Madhusudan Samman and equal numbers of first-time MLAs with Utkalmani Gopabandhu Prativa Samman for the year 2009-16.
Besides citation and a replica of the state assembly, the former legislators received a cash award of Rs 75,000 while it is Rs 50,000 for the first-time MLAs.
A committee headed by speaker PK Amat finalized the names for the three categories of awards which have been given since 2002. The MLAs were awarded based their behaviour and participation in debates, attendance in the house and commitment for their constituencies.
Naveen, addressing the legislators, said public representatives have maximum engagement with the people in a democratic society as citizens vote for them with the hope and aspiration of serving the numerous problems facing by the society.
“This kind of public trust imposes enormous accountability on the part of elected representatives. The MLAs are expected to discharge their responsibilities without fear and favour and with due respect for the high traditions of parliamentary democracy,” Naveen said.
Citing the words of Martin Luther King, ‘you cannot lead people…unless you love them, the chief minister said these words should be guiding principle and philosophy for every leader.
“If you love your people, you do not see the post you hold as a post; but as a mean to serve the people. You do not see power as power, but as a mean to transform the lives of people,” Naveen said adding all the negative associations of politics--power, wealth and position dissolve into nothingness if you love people.
The four-time chief minister also urged young people to join politics stating that they can be the real change agents.
The CM urged young people to join politics stating that they can be the real change agents.
