Happiest News for Orissa: Prasad is PCC Chief

Subhas Chandra Pattanayak

The happiest news for Orissa is that Mr. Prasad Harichandan has been appointed today as the President of Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee.

Honored as the First Best Legislator of the State in 2002, Prasad had put his golden signature in Orissa politics by being the most glaring candidate of Congress against Biju Patnaik in 1990.

Since his first entry into Orissa Assembly in 1995, he has enriched legislative businesses in every respect.

His efficient and sustained efforts to espouse outstanding public demands and his legislative wisdom marked in matters of law making as well as debating on topical issues has made tremendous contributions to refinement of administration.

He has earned distinction as a highly disciplined Congress leader for his exemplary participation in all major fronts of his party – the National Students Union, Indian Youth Congress and the Party proper.

Protection of environment and wild life, preservation of culture and social values are areas where his silent but steady contributions have made their unique marks.

Most importantly, he is a man of erudition, of research and knowledge.

As a minister, even though the time was short and the period was transitional, he had made the best use of his position in giving Orissa the only University of Culture of India – the Utkal university of Culture.

Orissa’s Institute of Mathematics and Application owes its origin to the efforts of Prasad. The concept of Community Policing was also his.

He is a successful fighter who has disproved the outstanding aphorism of Lord Acton that “power tends to corrupt”. He is, despite long innings in positions of power including ministership, has never indulged in any corruption.

In him, people of Orissa – in disaster by the ruling BJD; and by nature, abhorrent to communal BJP – see the best answer to their search for a leader who can bring in the desired change.

Prasad has a unique distinction of being an absolutely non-controversial personality in the Congress party. So, to save the State from BJD misrule and lurking BJP menace, it is expected that the Congress rank and file will unitedly stand with him.