Bhubaneswar: Following Odisha’s mountain man Daitari Nayak’s decision to return the Padma Shri award, the state government has taken a decision to provide a monthly assistance of `10,000 to the Padma Shri awardees belonging to economically weaker section (EWS) category in the state.
The Culture department has taken this decision and fixed norms following the approval of Chief Minister
Naveen Patnaik.
Meanwhile, the Culture department has collected detailed information of all Padma Shri awardees of the state through the District Collectors.
Notably, Nayak, a 75-year-old farmer of Talabaitarani village in mineral-rich Kenojhar district, was felicitated with Padma Shri this year for digging a 3-km long canal through a mountain in Odisha. He wanted to return the award as people were not giving him any work as they thought it would be below his dignity. He was used to get work as a daily wager.