Statue of Atal Bihari Vajpayee unveiled at Rourkela

Rourkela: Paying a humble tribute to the former Prime Minister, freedom fighter, poet and orator Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, SAIL's Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has installed an exquisite bronze statue of the iconic statesman, in a beautifully developed garden in the Steel City of Rourkela. The statue was unveiled by Member of Parliament of Sundargarh and Chairperson of Parliamentary Committee on Defence Jual Oram December 25 on the 95th Birth Anniversary of the leader who was loved by people across social, religious and political spectrums. Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of Raghunathpalli Subrat Tarai, MLA of Rourkela Sharada Prasad Nayak, MLA of Biramitrapur Shankar Oram, RSP's CEO Dipak Chattaraj, senior officers of the government of Odisha and Rourkela Steel Plant and a large number of Rourkelites were present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion Jual Oram elaborated about Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee's total commitment to nationalism and his multifaceted personality. Oram also reminisced about his close association with the great leader and some lighter moments spent with him. Subrat Tarai, eulogised how Late Vajpayee commanded respect from the comity of nations. In his address, Sharada Prasad Nayak said Ataljee is present in the hearts of the people of India because of his qualities of head and heart. Shankar Oram highlighted the oratory and poetic skills of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee. They also thanked and congratulated Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) for paying tributes to the visionary leader by installing an imposing statue of him in a beautiful garden. Speaking on the occasion Dipak Chattaraj, emphasised that the visionary leader has a strong connect with Rourkela Steel Plant and as the Prime Minister of India, his futuristic decisions pertaining to the Plant had helped the Steel Plant to take firm strides on the path of progress.

Later, the dignitaries also planted saplings in the garden. Earlier, RSP's Executive Director (P&A) Raj Vir Singh welcomed the gathering. RSP's DGM (PR) Archana Satpathy coordinated the function.

It is noteworthy that, the nine ft tall statue has been installed on an eight ft high pedestal. It is worth mentioning here that the statue has been sculpted by Padmashree Ram Vanji Sutar, who has also designed the Statue of Unity in Gujarat. The garden surrounding the statue has been developed over a 5,300 square metre unused piece of land at the heart of the Steel City. The sylvan surrounding, adequate illumination, a fountain and a walking path are the other attractions of the park.

Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, one of the tallest leaders in the post-independence era, had during his tenure as Prime Minister initiated several projects that were game-changers.

The Steel City of Rourkela is studded with several enclaves/public places dedicated to the great leaders of the country. The Utkalmani Gopabandhu statue enclave, Utkalmani Gopabandhu Ispat library, Ispat Nehru Park, Nehru Traffic Park, Biju Pattnaik statue chowk, Indira Gandhi Park, Ambedkar enclave, Birsa Munda statue chowk, Upendra Bhanja complex etc have not only added to the glory of the township but also constantly remind people about the enormous contributions of these great minds and souls. RSP has had a significant role to play in the installation and maintenance of these monuments. Besides, the Steel Plant also celebrates the Birth Anniversary of these luminous personalities with zeal and fervour as a humble tribute to their contributions to the society and the Nation. With the installation of the statue of Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee, another facet has been added to the social and cultural milieu of the Steel City.

Disclaimer: This story is a press release and is being published without any editing by PSU Watch desk. Our editorial team has only changed the headline.