Tag Archives: Indian Muslim Women

Meet Ruveda Salam – a doctor and Kashmir’s first woman IPS officer

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Farkin Village (Kupwara District), JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Meet Ruveda Salam - a doctor and Kashmir's first woman IPS officer

In 2015, Dr Ruveda Salam became the very first woman IPS officer from Jammu & Kashmir. When Ruveda was growing up, her father often used to say that he wanted his daughter to become an IPS (Indian Administrative Service) officer. That’s when she first thought of becoming one. It inspired her and she decided to aim for it.’

“As I have cleared the UPSC (Union Public Services Commission) exam for the second time, I will have to go for training again depending on the cadre. I think I will be posted as a sub-collector. Last year, I was selected to the Indian Police Service cadre. I went for training to Hyderabad. The training was very strenuous. Physically it was very hard. I joined the IPS cadre in Tamil Nadu and was posted as an Assistant Commissioner of Police in Chennai,” Ruveda said in a report in Rediff.com.

Before Ruveda cleared the UPSC (for the first time), she got into medical college, but even while studying medicine she used to read a lot. Ruveda found time to clear the Kashmir State Administrative Service exam. Instead of doing a post graduation in medicine, Ruveda started preparing for the UPSC.

As a young ACP, Ruveda has given motivational speeches to the youth, particularly girls. She encourages them to appear for the IPS exams in Jammu and Kashmir. Ruveda’s role is challenging. It carries a lot of responsibility. “I am in a state where people respect the police. I like it here (Tamil Nadu). When girls see me in uniform they look at me with admiration. I had conducted a workshop for girls in Hyderabad. The girls who attended said they wanted to join the IPS, but were apprehensive about whether their parents will support them,” Ruveda shared.

According to Ruveda, development will lead to peace in Jammu and Kashmir. “Peace and development go together. We should look to the future. Living outside has helped me understand the situation better,” said Ruveda.

source: http://www.yourstory.com / Your Story / Home> Inspiration / by Think Change India / May 11th, 2016

UAE: Meet the Guinness record-holding Indian father-daughter duo at Sharjah book fair

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Kozhikode, KERALA / Dubai, UAE:

20-year-old Roshna created the longest cartoon strip measuring 430m, titled ‘The Billion Dollar Journey’ honouring businessman MA Yusuff Ali

Father and daughter duo M Dileef and Roshna M. Photo: Nasreen Abdulla

The ongoing Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) houses two record-breaking installations — tucked away in Hall 7, the world’s largest screwdriver is displayed and right next to it is the world’s longest cartoon strip depicting the inspirational story of UAE-based businessman MA Yusuff Ali.

Both of these Guinness world record-holding creations have been made by Indian expat father-daughter duo M Dileef and Roshna M. “It feels great to be exhibiting here,” said 20-year-old Roshna, who broke her own record for the longest cartoon strip established in 2021 with her latest creation. Measuring 430m, the new strip titled ‘The Billion Dollar Journey’ is stretched across two wheels and can be read by rotating the hand.

On Sunday, the illustrious Indian businessman from Kerala, MA Yusuff Ali, visited the stall and commended Roshan’s efforts.

Roshna’s father, M Dileef, a seasoned record-setter, said this is his third Guinness World Record. “Due to space constraints, I could only put the head of the screwdriver on display,” he said. Completed in March, the tool measures a whooping 6.6m in length. The artist was recently granted a Golden Visa in the UAE.

The longest cartoon strip

The cartoon strip charts the journey of businessman MA Yusuff Ali, from his childhood in a village in Kerala to his meteoric rise as one of the most influential businessmen in the world.

“I have always looked up to him,” she said. “I want to be an entrepreneur; he is my role model, so I wanted to make something to honour him.”

It was in 2021 that Roshna set her first world record with a cartoon strip measuring 404 metres in collaboration with Global Village. This year, she has broken that record. According to the youngster, who recently graduated with a bachelor’s in fine arts, making this strip took her 8 months, five months of which was just for research.

“I had a team of six classmates,” she said. “We had decided that we wanted to do something to make our mark, and this is the idea we came up with. They helped me in the entire research process and aided me when drawing the cartoon strip as well.”

The graduate now dreams of pursuing a master’s degree in Europe and hopes to raise funds for her education with her artwork.

Largest screwdriver

The masterpiece by Dileef was first displayed at World Art Dubai in March of this year. “I wanted to pay tribute to the working-class population in the city,” he said. “No other country has honoured and valued the contribution of the working class like the UAE has. So many lives were transformed because of Dubai. This piece was a homage to that.”

Made out of mahagony wood and mild steel, the screwdriver was constructed in Dubai. The handle, which has a diameter of 70cm, also has storage space for knickknacks.

Dileef has earlier set two world records- one for curating the world’s longest Quran and another for the largest badminton racket.

www.dileefartgallery.com

source: http://www.khaleejtimes.com / Khaleej Times / Home> UAE / by Nasreen Abdulla / November 06th, 2022

Ramadan 2021: meet the Dubai mother who feeds 500 people every day during the holy month

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Mangaluru, KARNATAKA / Dubai, UAE :

Mahnaz Faquih teams up with local charities to distribute food parcels at worker accommodation in Al Quoz.

Mahnaz Faquih has helped donate tens of thousands of iftar boxes to the needy in the past 20 years in Dubai. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dubai resident Mahnaz Faquih, 51, feeds 500 needy people every day during Ramadan.

She started when she moved to Dubai from India in 2002, distributing food during Ramadan to those around her, including the security guard in her building.

In 2018, thanks to the help of her friends and community members, she delivered 500 iftar boxes a day to workers and unemployed people during the holy month.

That trend has continued every year since.

This year, because of Covid-19 restrictions on sharing and distributing food, Ms Faquih joined up with local charities to distribute food parcels at worker accommodation in Al Quoz.

In 2020, she worked with Sahana, a Sri Lankan Welfare Association in the UAE, to help provide meals to those who lost their jobs during the pandemic.

“I moved to the UAE from India where I lived in a joint family of 10 people and there was a lot of Ramadan fervour,” Ms Faquih said.

“For me, Ramadan meant being involved in charity.

“My parents always encouraged me to help others and I wanted to keep that tradition alive.

“I started sending iftar boxes of fruit, laban or juice to my local mosque,” she said.

Mahnaz Faquih with her daughter Alina and son Mikhail. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Ms Faquih, an interior designer, said she ensured her children understood the importance of giving while realising their own privilege.

“The initiative has grown so big. It started with a wish to treat others to some good food or a box of biryani,” Ms Faquih said.

“Before the pandemic, I asked my children to give away the food packets so that it touched their hearts.

“I wanted them to have the consciousness that others are needy and they are privileged.

“My parents always gave away money or gifts through us, and I wanted my children to think about others.”

Her daughter, Alina Shaikh, 16, has been helping her mother since she was six and her son, Mikhail Shaikh, 12, also helps to distribute boxes.

“When we were little, we used to bring food and juices to workers every single day during Ramadan,” Alina said.

“We feel happy and grateful that we are lucky enough to help others.

“It’s such an amazing and rewarding feeling.

“It’s allowed us to understand how others live and empathise with them. It has helped us become humble and open-minded to people from different walks of life,” she said.

Mikhail also enjoyed being able to help others.

“In the past, we helped in packing the food boxes, but most of the time we handed out the iftar meals to people,” he said.

“We think that giving back is extremely important and when you have the ability to help others, why not do it?”

Ms Faquih said her friends supported her, too.

Shanu Hathiramani, an Indian from Nigeria living in Dubai, has known Ms Faquih for the past eight years and often helps her with her charitable work.

“Mahnaz is a very giving and helpful person,” Ms Hathiramani said.

“In the past, we have helped feed people during Ramadan. My son also helped out with the charity work.”

Iftar boxes being distributed at a workers’ accommodation – in picture

Sri Lankan community volunteers hand out meals for 300 people at a labour accommodation block in Sonapur, Dubai. All pictures by Antonie Robertson / The National

source: http://www.thenationalnews.com / The National / Home> UAE / by Anam Rizvi / May 07th, 2021

Five lecturers from Anantapur get Best Teacher awards

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ANDHRA PRADESH :

Five professors and lecturers of different universities and colleges in the undivided Anantapur district and three in the undivided Kurnool district have been selected for Best Teacher Award 2022.

Five professors and lecturers of different universities and colleges in the undivided Anantapur district and three in the undivided Kurnool district have been selected by the State government to receive the ‘Best Teacher Award 2022’ out of the 24 Statewide on Teachers’ Day on September 5.

Government Arts College Anantapur Botany lecturer E. Sreedevi, who has been selected by the State government for the Best Teacher Award 2022. | Photo Credit: R.V.S. Prasad

While Government Arts College, Anantapur Botany Department in-charge lecturer E. Sreedevi got selected, others include Sri Krishnadevaraya University Rural Development and Social Sciences professor M. Muninarayanappa, JNTU Anantapur Mechanical Engineering professor M.L.S. Devakumar and V. Venugopal Reddy from the same department and T.S. Syam Prasad, lecturer in Political Science, Government College for Men, Anantapur.

In the Kurnool district, those selected for the award are K.V.R. Government College for Women, Kurnool, Urdu Department lecturer Irfana Begum, Biochemistry lecturer B. Dhanashree from the same college, and A. Vimala Rhode of Silver Jubilee Government Degree College. 

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> India> Andhra Pradesh / by Ramesh Surla / Anantapur-Kurnool / September 03rd, 2022

Tears of the Begums: Stories of Survivors of the Uprising of 1857 (Originally in Urdu as Begumat ke Aansoo)

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INDIA :

New Book , First ever English translation of Nizami’s invaluable Urdu book Begumat ke Aansoo 

pix: amazon.in

Apart from the fifteen years that Sher Shah Suri snatched upon defeating Humayun, the flag of the grand Mughal Empire flew over Delhi undefeated for over 300 years.

But then, 1857 arrived and the mighty sword fell helpless in the face of a mightier British force.

After the fall of Delhi and Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar’s tragic departure from the Red Fort in 1857, members of the royal Mughal court had to flee to safer places. Driven out from their palaces and palanquins onto the streets in search of food and shelter, the dethroned royals scrambled to survive. Some bore their fate with a bitter pride, others succumbed to the adversity.

Through twenty-nine accounts of the survivors of the Uprising of 1857, Khwaja Hasan Nizami documents the devastating tale of the erstwhile glorious royalty’s struggle with the hardships thrust upon them by a ruthless new enemy.

In vivid and tragic stories drawn from the recollection of true events, Nizami paints a picture of a crumbling historical era and another charging forward to take its place.

With the reminiscence of past glory contrasted against the drudgery of everyday survival, Tears of the Begums – the first ever English translation of Nizami’s invaluable Urdu book Begumat ke Aansoo – chronicles the turning of the wheel of fortune in the aftermath of India’s first war of independence.

source: http://www.amazon.in / Amazon / Home> Books> History> World / as on August 06th, 2022

25-year-old PIO is UK’s youngest civic mayor

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Valsad, GUJARAT / London, U.K :

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Humaira Garasia, whose family roots are in Valsad, was .elected speaker of London borough of Hackney in May

Surat :

Rishi Sunak might be in news for being the frontrunner for the post of Prime Minister of the UK and he will create history if he is elected for the post of the country that once ruled India.

But Indian origin Humaira Garasia (25) has already created a history by becoming the youngest-ever speaker of council in London Borough of Hackney.

Garasia’s family is originally from Valsad and her father had migrated to the UK at a young age. Garasia was determined to enter active politics when she was 15 and wanted to represent the marginalised population.

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She identifies herself as a Gujarati of Indian origin. She studied BA politics from the University of London. Her father Rafik Ahmed, a warehouse worker, is from Nana Taiwad in Valsad while her mother Najma, a housewife, is from Bharuch.

“I am the youngest-ever speaker/civic mayor of Indian origin in the whole of the UK and the youngest speaker to have ever been elected for the London Borough of Hackney,” says Garasia.

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“I was elected at the age of 21 as a councillor in 2018 and completed a four-year term. I was the youngest person of Indian origin to be elected as a councillor then. I was successfully re-elected as a councillor in May 2022,” she added.

She said: “I will be working with leaders, residents and communities from across the borough to address issues of inequalities, while also helping to tackle long-term issues such as racism and discrimination. I will focus on providing support to the most vulnerable members of society and helping young people to feel both empowered and safe.”

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Born and brought up in London, Garasia’s parents migrated around 35 years ago. Garasia visits Valsad every year with her family.

source: http://www.timesofindia.com / The Times of India / Home> News> City News / by Yagnesh Bharat Mehta / July 23rd, 2022

Shahnawaz Pathan becomes first Muslim woman judge of Pune

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Pune, MAHARASHTRA :

Shahnawaz Khan Pathan with her parents and brother
Shahnawaz Khan Pathan with her parents and brother

Come August and Shahnawaz Khan Pathan of Pune would join the training course for the First Class Judge. Her’s is an incredible journey from living with her family in a ten-by-ten space in Ghorpadi Pait Lohia Nagar slum settlement where she grew up and studied. 

Shahnawaz Khan’s story proves that success is not achieved in a day and only one who has the determination to make it will succeed. Shahnawaz Khan Pathan is the third sibling among her four sisters and one brother. Their father Aman Khan Pathan manages the family with his earnings from a small grocery shop.

Shahnawaz Khan Pathan being felicitated by the Pune Bar after her selection as Judge

Despite Aman Khan’s low income,  he tried his best to provide proper education to his children as a result all his children are educated.

Shahnawaz Khan Pathan’s success has her father happy and proud. Aman Khan Pathan says that due to the poor financial condition of his family, he was not able to study. Sumaiya not only made his dream come true and also made him a proud father who can tell the world that he is the father of Shahnawaz Khan Pathan. 

Speaking with Awaz-the Voice, Aman Khan Pathan became emotional and said: “I am proud of Shahnawaz.” 

Her mother  Sugrabi Pathan wipes her tears of joy and says that her daughter was always very good in her studies from the very beginning. “We had high hopes from her and see she did it. I always pray for her success and success.”

Shahnawaz Khan with her Uncle Jia Khan Pathan

The family has lived all through in a small hut in the narrow streets of Lohia Nagar. There is hardly an environment conducive to studies.

However,  Shahnawaz Khan Pathan worked hard and made history by becoming the first Muslim first-class judge of Pune. 

Shahnawaz says that mere imagination does not lead to success. One needs to work hard to fulfill one’s dreams and achieve success. 

On her family’s support, Shahnawaz says that her father was always there to guide her. “Even with his meager income, he made every effort to provide for me whenever I needed something.” 

However, Shahnawaz has another hero in her life: her uncle Jia Khan Pathan, and his wife – whom she credits with encouraging her and filling her with hope and enthusiasm to keep moving.

Shahnawaz being felicitated by a civil society organisation in Pune

“From the first day till the JFMC interview, Uncleji was with me like my shadow. Whenever I had to go outside the city for writing an examination, my uncle and aunty would accompany me. He never left me alone. My mother and my entire family, friends, and neighbors all kept encouraging me.” 

However, her failure to clear the Public service Commission conducted Maharashtra Judicial Services Examination in her first attempt in 2019  caused her disappointment. “At that time my father encouraged me and told me to try it again. I tried with renewed vigor and confidence and this time my name figured in the list of results declared in 2020,” she says.

 Shahnawaz has studied at Maharishi Annasaheb Shinde, Zilla Parishad School. Today, when she is all set to become the first Muslim judge of Pune, Shahnawaz says she believes that “education is not preparation for life but education is life.” 

She says she was always determined to not let the circumstances of her life become a hindrance in her path. It was only some time back that her family shifted to their new house in the Kondhwa area. 

Shahnawaz Khan Pathan speaking at a function

Shahnawaz was a practicing lawyer before becoming a civil judge-cum-judicial magistrate first class (JFMC). She married software developer Sunny Sayyed before on May 25 before the JFMC results were out. She lives with her husband in the Urudi Kanchan area of Pune. 

As a legal professional Shahnawaz says that awareness campaigns should be launched to make common people aware of the legal options and legal aspects of life. Legal camps and street plays can be very helpful in this direction. She says that lack of proper information aggravates many problems.

Shahnawaz believes that a common citizen can become a force multiplier in the progress of the country by staying within the purview of the law for redressal of his grievances.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> India / by Shahtaj Khan, Pune / July 14th, 2022

AIMIM wins Local Polls in Khandwa, plays spoiler for Cong in Burhanpur

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Hyderabad, TELANGANA / MADHYA PRADESH :

Making entry in Madhya Pradesh (MP) politics, Asauddin Owaisi’s AIMIM won local elections in Khandwa and played a spoiler for Congress in Burhanpur Mayor Elections 2022

Bhopal : 

Making entry in Madhya Pradesh (MP) politics, Asauddin Owaisi’s AIMIM won local elections in Khandwa and played a spoiler for Congress in Burhanpur Mayor Elections 2022, results of which were announced Sunday.

Khandwa and Burhanpur both have considerable population of Muslims. Khandwa was recently in news for the exodus of migrant labourers for lack of jobs.

The AIMIM candidate, Shakira Bilal, won the election from ward number 14 of the Khandwa Municipal Corporation by defeating her nearest Congress rival Noorjahan Begum by a margin of 285 votes.

Besides fielding its nominee Kaniz Fatima for Khandwa Mayor Election 2022, the AIMIM had fielded candidates in 10 wards of the Khandwa Civic Body that has a total of 50 seats.

Burhanpur Mayor Election Result

In Burhanpur Mayor Elections, AIMIM candidate polled a total of 10,274 votes – a huge number if compared with the margin of 542 votes by which the BJP Mayoral candidate defeated her nearest rival of Congress.

Madhuri Patel got a total of 52,823 whereas Shahnaaz Bano of Congress got 52, 281 votes in Burhanpur Mayor elections 2022.

AAP Debut in MP

Meanwhile, the debutant Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also made its entry in Madhya Pradesh politics after winning mayoral post of Singrauli Municipal Corporation, the district which is filled with coal mining and also called – ‘energy capital of India’.

AAP candidate Rani Agrawal has won the election for mayoral post against BJP’s Chandra Prakash Vishwakarma.

Polling was held for mayoral posts in 11 municipal corporations, including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Sagar, Satna, Singrauli, Chhindwara, Khandwa, Burhanpur and Ujjain. A total of 101 candidates are fighting for the mayoral posts.

The counting of votes for the second phase of the MP municipal elections will be held on July 20.

source: http://www.ummid.com / Ummid.com / Home> India / by Ummid.com with input from Agencies / Jujly 17th, 2022

Mumbai photographer Prarthna Singh’s first solo-book is a walk down the alley called Shaheen Bagh

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Mumbai, MAHARASHTRA :

The photo-book ‘Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh’, comprising visual stories of resilience and resistance, isolates individuals from the image of the mass movement as was seen on prime-time news and press photographs.

Portraits from Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh (Credit: Prarthna Singh)

Who is the perfect protester? We imagine raised fists, hurt faces, angry stances. We imagine climbing barricades, braving tear gas. If we go by this visual vocabulary, Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh (Every Evening Belongs to Shaheen Bagh) takes us by surprise. With over 150 portraits of non-violent protesters, the photo-book gently challenges the imagery of contemporary resistance movements.

Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh is Mumbai-based photographer Prarthna Singh’s first solo photo-book (she had earlier teamed up with the authors of Sar: The Essence of Indian Design in 2016). In December 2019, after the Delhi police reportedly assaulted students of Jamia Millia Islamia University who were challenging the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), a sit-in protest led by Muslim women started in Shaheen Bagh. Under a tent, with hundreds of women and children on any given day, the peaceful protest lasted for 100 days, until the pandemic struck.

Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh; By Prarthna Singh; 143 pages; Rs 3,300

Singh joined the anti-CAA protest in January 2020, spending most of her time on ground. Known for her women-centric narratives and portraiture work, she taps into her speciality to create portraits in an on-site photo studio, cobbled together with whatever was available at Shaheen Bagh. The result is these portraits of women, either looking directly at the camera or away, but always with a sense of pride. Poised and calm, the unnamed sitters indicate trust in the space, the purpose and the photographer.

Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh is Mumbai-based photographer Prarthna Singh’s first solo photo-book (she had earlier teamed up with the authors of Sar: The Essence of Indian Design in 2016).

Our collective memory of Shaheen Bagh, as is often the case with resistance movements, is of the masses, as seen on prime-time news and press photographs. Indeed, mass resistance movements give rise to the most recognisable images in the documented history of the world. Vulnerability and resilience coalesce into one defining moment — people standing up to power and confrontation, whether it’s one man blocking a row of tanks or a girl offering a flower to an armed soldier. Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh trades the monumental for the intimate, asking us to reconsider what we mean by “iconic”. It isolates individuals from the sea of faces, almost as if to say that a movement’s power lies not in numbers but in the will of its people.

Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh takes the form of a personal diary or a scrapbook.

Har Shaam Shaheen Bagh takes the form of a personal diary or a scrapbook. It contains drawings, a painting by artist Sameer Kulavoor, whose company Bombay Duck Designs has also designed the book, verse and a letter from one of the protesters, available in Urdu, English and Hindi. Some pages are deliberately uneven, recalling the makeshift quality of the Shaheen Bagh tent. While the book’s cost makes it inaccessible to some socioeconomic groups, Singh has shared copies with the protesters. A portion of the book sales goes towards Jeevan Stambh, an NGO working on the rehabilitation of the victims of the Jahangirpuri demolition last month.

During the pandemic, the Delhi police cleared the Shaheen Bagh site, painting over its graffiti and dismantling its art installations. In a country that is determined to erase and rewrite its history, one could say that a photo-book on a citizen protest is as good as an act of protest itself.

source: http://www.indianexpress.com / The Indian Express / Home> Books & Literature / by Benita Fernando / New Delhi – May 21st, 2022

Bhadrak’s Gulmaki Dalawzi Habib makes history, becomes first Muslim woman to head a municipality in Odisha

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ODISHA :

In the history of Odisha, there had never been a Muslim woman helming the top post of any municipality. That changed last week when she won the election to the chairperson post of Bhadrak town.

Thirty-year-old Gulmaki Dalawzi Habib. (Photo | EPS)

Bhubaneswar :

Thirty-year-old Gulmaki Dalawzi Habib has smashed many social and political conventions. Fighting the polls as an Independent in Bhadrak, the 31-year-old of Puruna Bazaar area made the candidates of three major political parties – the ruling BJD, BJP and Congress – bite the dust.

In the history of Odisha, there had never been a Muslim woman helming the top post of any municipality. That changed last week when she won the election to the chairperson post of Bhadrak town.

Gulmaki won the election by defeating her nearest rival, Samita Mishra of BJD, by a margin of 3,256 votes. While she secured 28,115 votes, Samita bagged 24,859 votes. The BJP candidate came a distant third with 6,787 votes while the Congress nominee could only secure 1,977 votes.

In a communally-sensitive town like Bhadrak, Gulmaki’s poll victory was an outcome which was least expected. 


Though there were councilors from minority community in the past, the municipality chairperson post was never helmed by a Muslim. The fact that a Muslim woman could be choice of voters, majority of whom were Hindus, was something which even poll pundits could not predict.

The chairperson-elect said she was both humbled and proud to be the first Muslim woman in the State to be elected to the top municipality post. 

“The whole of Bhadrak town is celebration my victory. People were steadfast in their support to me. I dedicate my win to both Hindus and Muslims of the town,” she said.

Of the total 30 Wards in Bhadrak Municipality, 12 are dominated by Muslims while two have a sizable population of the minority community. 

There are more than 87,000 voters in Bhadrak town of whom over 34,000 are Muslims.

Contrary to the perception, there was no reservation in the minds of Hindu voters towards a Muslim candidate. 

“While campaigning, I was treated like one of their own. In my personal experience, there is no divide between Hindus and Muslims as was being spread by some people during the elections. Irrespective of religion, voters showered their love and blessings on me.”

Though Gulmaki is a political greenhorn, her husband Sheikh Jahid Habib was the former district vice-president of BJD’s youth wing. 

In the run-up to the urban local body polls, people of Puruna Bazaar demanded a chairperson candidate from the area which always bore the brunt of civic authorities’ neglect. 

However, BJD ignored the demand following which Gulmaki filed nomination as an Independent candidate.

Development of the town is top on the agenda of Gulmaki, who hold a degree in Business Administration. 

“Roads and drainage system need to be be drastically improved in the town. Especially in Puruna Bazaar, the living conditions are poor. I plan to work on these issues first after taking office.”

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> States> Odisha / by Anup Nayak, Express News Service / March 28th, 2022