By Purushottam Nayak
Bhubaneswar: A 12-member Christian delegation on August 23 met Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to congratulate him for becoming India’s best administrator.
Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneswar led the delegation comprising priests, religious and lay people. They met the chief at his office on behalf of all Christians in the eastern Indian state.
The “Outlook,” a weekly magazine published from New Delhi, chose Patnaik as the “Best Administrator of the Country.”
India’s immediate past President Pranab Mukherjee presented the award at a function in New Delhi on August 21. Patnaik dedicated the award to Odisha’s 45 million people.
Patnaik was chosen from six chief ministers — Nitish Kumar of Bihar, Manik Sarkar of Tripura, Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal, Devendra Fadnavis of Maharashtra and Siddaramaiah of Karnataka.
“Together with every member of the Christian Community we extend hearty congratulations and express our sincere appreciations to you our beloved and revered chief minister of Odisha, Shree Naveen Patnaik,” Archbishop Barwa said on August 23.
The Divine Word prelate, who heads the Catholic Church in Odisha, hailed Patnaik as “one of the most popular, most successful, undisputed, and effective leaders and the best administrator of our country.”
The Church leader commended the chief minister as “a great visionary and a creative architect” with a dream to develop Odisha as the number one state in India. “You are secular chief minister, who is above all religions, castes and creeds continued the prelate,” the archbishop said.
The prelate promised the Christian community’s support in fulfilling Patnaik’s dream for Odisha.
The Christian delegation noted that Odisha has become the third largest contributor to the public distribution system in India. “Odisha was importing rice when you became the Chief Minister in 2000,” they recalled.
The chief minister, who repeated “Thank you” several times, said he was “deeply touched by the sincere and genuine words of the Christian community coming out of the hearts.”
Missionaries of Charity Sister Shamuel, a member of the delegation, said Christians have “great hope” in Patnaik “who has a secular image.” She recalled Patnaik had named a road after Saint Mother Teresa in the state capital of Bhubaneswar.
Patnaik became winner for his good work during floods and cyclones like Phailin, and Hudhud that devastated Odisha many times during his 18 years of rule.
Odisha is now held as a model of development and economic growth. Media reports says Odisha’s agricultural transportation has become unparalleled.
The state has become self-sufficient in food grain production and plays a vital role in ensuring food security for the people of the country.