Pradhan was speaking at the concluding ceremony of Odisha Parba-2024 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium on Sunday evening.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for keenly focusing on Odisha's development. He expressed happiness that Prime Minister Modi has executed the ideologies of the great people of Odisha like Santha Kabi Bhima Bhoi, Pandit Gopabandhu Das, and Utkal Keshari Dr Harekrushna Mahatab in governance.
Pradhan remembered, during his stint as Chief Minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi worshipped and served Lord Jagannath in the Ahmedabad Temple.
Talking about Odia Parba, Pradhan said the Odia community festival started at India Gate in 2017. At that time, Odia people were mostly working as plumbers in Delhi-NCR. Now, Odia people's big presence is marked in the Supreme Court, High Court, Delhi University and Jawaharlal University. He boasted that as many as 50 startups held a summit in Odisha Parba 2024 this year.
Stating that Swabhimani Odisha people changed the government in the State trusting the Prime Minister as their Asmita Rakshak, Pradhan exuded confidence that Odisha would reach a new height of development under the vision of Narendra Modi by 2036.
