"We welcome everyone to the land of Lord Jagannath": Odisha Deputy CM Deo as Pravasi Bharatiya Divas begins in Bhubaneswar

Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], January 8 (ANI): As the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas began here on Wednesday, Odisha Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo welcomed the delegates of the three-day event. He added that the state will show its rich culture to the world during the event.
"I would like to welcome all the delegates who are visiting Odisha for the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas starting today. Odisha has a great concept of 'Atithi Devo Bhava' and we welcome everyone to the land of Lord Jagannath. I am sure their experience in Odisha will be memorable and they will come forward to invest in Odisha," Deo told ANI.
"The state government has tried its best to make their stay here as comfortable as possible. The Prime Minister and EAM have chosen Odisha as the venue for this event this year and it is a great honour for us. The President is also expected to reach here tomorrow... We are trying to showcase our rich culture to the world," he added.
The three-day event, based on the theme "Diaspora's contribution to a Viksit Bharat", will be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the second day of the convention.
Christine Carla Kangaloo, President of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, will be the chief guest of the 18th PBD, and she will be virtually addressing the convention.
Meanwhile, Puri Superintendent of Police Vineet Agrawal has said that dedicated efforts are being made to ensure seamless experiences for visitors at key tourist spots across the region.
Speaking to ANI on Tuesday, Agrawal said, "It is a matter of pride for us that the program of the 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is going to be organised in Odisha. All the delegates and dignitaries will visit Puri also. So all the arrangements have been made at the tourist places in Puri. The senior officers of the police are deployed at all the places."
South Africa's High Commissioner to India Anil Sooklal said on Tuesday that it is a great privilege to attend the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) in Odisha's Bhubaneswar and recalled the memories of PBD held in Varanasi in 2019.
He said, "It's a great privilege to be part of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here in the historical city of Bhubaneswar. I have fond recollections of PBD in 2019 in Varanasi where I was accorded the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. It was a very great privilege and honour for me to be recognized by the Indian government and I think we must commend the government of India, Prime Minister Modi Ji, and Minister Jaishankar for having this PBD and keeping it and sustaining it."
The 18th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention is being organized in partnership with the State Government of Odisha from January 8 to 10 in Bhubaneswar.
A large number of Indian diaspora members from over 50 different countries have registered to participate in the PBD Convention. (ANI)