Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today urged people to make panchayats as a model of progress instead of reducing them to centres of politics.
Describing Biju Patnaik as a symbol of progress on his birth centenary at a function here, the Chief Minister said his late father stood for self-less service and worked for the empowerment of the poor.
The year-long centenary celebration commenced with Naveen garlanding the statue of Biju Patnaik at the BJD office premises and unveiling an 18-feet statue of the late leader at Biju Patnaik International Airport of Bhubaneswar.
A sand sculpture created by noted sand artist Sudarsan Patnaik on the occasion of Patnaik's birth centenary was inaugurated by the Chief Minister at the new domestic terminal of the airport.
A mini marathon was also held in the city. It started from Forest Park and culminated at Kalinga Stadium and a large number of people from Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand participated in the event.
Addressing the state-level 'Panchayatiraj Divas' on the occasion, Patnaik dedicated to the people 100 drinking water projects and 100 flood and cyclone shelters.
Biju Patnaik's birth anniversary is observed every year as 'Panchayatiraj Day'.
