Odisha’s wishlist for Padma awards: Patnaik’s government sends recommendations to Home Ministry

Last year, stone sculptor Raghunath Mohapatra was awarded Padma Vibhushan while retinal surgeon Dr Taraprasad Das and pattachitra and modern artist Kailash Chandra Meher were awarded Padmashri.

For next year’s Padmashri award, Odisha has recommended:

* Ikat weaver Surendra Meher

* Kolkata-based terracotta artisan Debraj Sahoo

* Filmmaker Nilamadhab Panda

* Sculptor Chandrasekhar Rath

* Sculptor Debendra Mishra

* Cardiologist Pratap Chandra Rath(medicine)

* Odissi dance guru Durga Charan Ranbir

* Tie and dye artist Sarat Kumar Patra(Art)

* Pattachitra artiste Bijay Kumar Parida(Art)

* Singer Prafulla Kar(Art)

* Painter Dinanath Pathy(Art, literature and culture)

* Former IAS officer and writer Rajendra Kishore Panda(literature)

* Pattachitra artiste Bhramarabar Nayak

* Filmmaker and parallel-cinema actor Sadhu Meher(cinema)

* Odissi dancer and late Odissi dancer guru Kelucharan Mohapatra’s daughter-in-law Sujata Mohapatra

* Neurosurgeon and director of Bhubaneswar AIIMS Ashok Mohapatra(medicine)

* Developmental economist and emeritus professor in University of California Prashant Patnaik

* Economist and former professor in JNU’s Centre for Economic Studies and Planning Prabhat Patnaik

* Former vice chancellor of Pune’s Defence Institute of Advanced Technology prof Lalit Mohan Patnaik

* Odissi dancer Aruna Mohanty

* Educationist Jaydev Mishra and differently abled persons activist Sruti Mohapatra.The wall hanging in CM Naveen      Patnaik’s office was made by Patra.

For Padmabhusan award, the state government has recommended:

* Linguist Debi Prasanna Patnaik

* Eminent poet and playwright and former IAS officer Jagannath Prasad Das

* Odissi classical singer Sunanda Patnaik

* Renowned bilingual writer Manoj Das

* Jnanpith award winner Prativa Ray

Pondicherry-based Manoj Das was awarded the Padmashri in 2001 while Pratibha Ray was awarded the same in 2007. Early this year, Professor Patnaik was instrumental in getting Odia the status of a classical language, the sixth in the country.