Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today paid his humble tributes to freedom fighter and first Chief Minister of Odisha Utkal Keshari Dr. Harekrushna Mahatab on his birth anniversary.
Taking to Twitter, Naveen expressed that Mahatab’s contribution towards formation of separate Orissa Province, journalism, literature and development of Odisha will always be remembered.
ବିଶିଷ୍ଟ ସ୍ଵାଧୀନତା ସଂଗ୍ରାମୀ ତଥା ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ପ୍ରଥମ ମୁଖ୍ୟମନ୍ତ୍ରୀ ଉତ୍କଳ କେଶରୀ ଡଃ. ହରେକୃଷ୍ଣ ମହତାବଙ୍କ ଜୟନ୍ତୀରେ ଶ୍ରଦ୍ଧାଞ୍ଜଳି। ସ୍ୱତନ୍ତ୍ର ଓଡ଼ିଶା ପ୍ରଦେଶ ଗଠନ ସହ ଓଡ଼ିଶାର ପ୍ରଗତି, ସାମ୍ବାଦିକତା ଓ ସାହିତ୍ୟ ପ୍ରତି ତାଙ୍କ ଅନବଦ୍ୟ ଅବଦାନ ପାଇଁ ସେ ସର୍ବଦା ସ୍ମରଣୀୟ ରହିବେ। pic.twitter.com/dw5W3fvZkJ
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) November 21, 2019
Mahatab was a notable figure in the Indian independence movement. He was the first Chief Minister of Odisha from 23 April 1946 to 12 May 1950 and again from 1956 to 1961. He was popularly known by the sobriquet “Utkal Keshari”.
He was the founder of the Prajatantra Prachar Samiti and started the weekly magazine Prajatantra in 1923 at Balasore, which later became the Daily Prajatantra. He was the chief editor of a monthly journal Jhankar.
He also published the Weekly English paper The Eastern Times and was its Chief Editor.