Padma Awardees of Odisha set to receive monthly honorarium of Rs 30,000

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], January 16 (ANI): Odisha state Odia Language Literature and Culture Department has issued a notification on Thursday that Padma Awardees of the state would now receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 30,000 from January.
The amount will be credited directly to the bank accounts of the Padma Awardees from Odisha on DBT mode. The Department has asked Collectors and Culture officers of all districts to collect the bank account details of the Padma Awardees.
Following this notification Odissi dancer and Padma awardee Aruna Mohanty said that this money would help the elderly to take care of themselves.
She said, "We the people of Odisha are happy to receive this notification. The Padma awardees have done 'tapasya' through their work for the betterment of society. This is the love and acknowledgement of the people but when govt declare something like this, it becomes kind of a befitting respect to deserving people. At the end of life, some of us need support to maintain, survive and look after ourselves. This money will definitely help people especially the elderly to take care of themselves."
Earlier in a notification Government of Odisha said, "The Padma Award is the highest civilian award of the country after the Bharat Ratna. The Padma Award was introduced in 1954. The Padma Award is given for special contributions in the fields of art, education, science, sports, social work, public service, medicine, literature, etc. It is a matter of great pride that many Odia people from our state have brought glory to the state by receiving this prestigious and prestigious award."
"The state government has decided to provide a monthly stipend of Rs 30,000 to all Padma awardees of the state in recognition of their outstanding contribution to society in various fields. With this decision, a monthly stipend of Rs 30,000 will be provided to all living Padma awardees of the state through Direct Benefit Transfer from January 2025," the notification further said.
The notification said that the District Collectors and District Cultural Officers of all the districts have been directed to send the details of the living Padma Award winners (District Collector's certificate, bank account details, IFSC Code etc.) in the respective districts to the Directorate, Odia, Language, Literature and Culture as soon as possible, so that all the living Padma Award winners can get the honorary assistance amount through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) facility. (ANI)