By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/NEW DELHI: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik must felt happy on Wednesday when he came across the video footage lived through Rajya Sabha TV, where his Party’s flamboyant and most talkative, Upper House Member, Dr Sasmit Patra got huge praise from Chairman and Vice –President, M Venkaiah Naidu while debating on Women’s Reservation Bill in his mother tongue Odia language. Odisha Chief Minister Patnaik had reserved 33% seats for women in 2019 Lok Sabha elections for his party and has been strongly demanding for passage of the Women’s Reservation Bills since long.
VP Naidu, who had earlier tapped the political and academic acumen of BJD MP Dr Patra in his first day in Rajya Sabha, 16 months back, again applauded the BJD MP in Odia language by saying “Tamara Bhasa Re Ati Sundar Kahile (you spoke well in your language)”. It was not first time, Dr Sasmit Patra got praise from VP , earlier he too had get applauds for his meticulously and informative debates and presentation and style of talking. Earlier, VP had said “ Uttam Kahuchha,” while referring to BJD MP Dr Patra’s oratory skills.
During Zero Hour, Dr raised the demand for passage of Women’s Reservation Bill. Speaking in his mother tongue, Patra stated that women empowerment is extremely important in the country and especially in the context of economic, social and political empowerment.
“The Union Government should study the model of Odisha’s Mission Shakti programme which has empowered more than 80 lakh women through Self Help Groups (SHGs) and how these women have revolutionized their lives and livelihood through the programme,” said Patra while stressing on social and economic empowerment of women.
“The Centre had brought the National Maternity Scheme after considering Odisha’s Mamata Yojana as a benchmark model. Similarly, the Centre should now consider bringing about a National Programme on the lines of Odisha’s Mission Shakti,” the Odisha MP proposed hoping that this would lead to the true political, social and economic empowerment of women in India. Dr Patra it may be noted here, broke 20 years long record while presiding in Rajya Sabha.
