Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday appointed renowned sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik as the president of the Odisha Lalit Kala Akademi.
Sudarsan's name was selected for the prestigious post by the chief minister. Earlier a selection committee, headed by the Vice-chancellor of Utkal University of Culture, had placed three names before the CM, official sources said.
Reacting to the appointment, Sudarshan (41) said "I will like to thank the chief minister for giving me a chance to promote art and culture of the state. I'll work to uplift the artists from across the state."