Modi honoured Odisha's pride by nominating Droupadi Murmu as prez candidate: Pradhan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has honoured the people of Odisha by nominating Droupadi Murmu as NDAs presidential candidate, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Sunday.Addressing party workers at Golanthara in Odishas Ganjam district, Pradhan said nominating Murmu for the top post is not political but a matter of honouring Odishas pride.The prime minister has hounoured Odishas 4.5 crore people by making Droupadi Murmu the NDAs candidate for the topmost constitutional post in the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has honoured the people of Odisha by nominating Droupadi Murmu as NDA's presidential candidate, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said on Sunday.

Addressing party workers at Golanthara in Odisha's Ganjam district, Pradhan said nominating Murmu for the top post is not political but a matter of honouring Odisha's pride.

''The prime minister has hounoured Odisha's 4.5 crore people by making Droupadi Murmu the NDA's candidate for the topmost constitutional post in the country. It is a great act to make a tribal woman from a humble family the presidential candidate,'' he said.

''Modi will be remembered by the people of Odisha for centuries. He has appointed Odias to prestigious posts at the Centre, besides identifying talents from the state for Padma awards,'' he added.

The prime minister not only gave opportunities to the people of the state, but also helped in implementing welfare programmes for the poor, Pradhan, the education minister, said.

Odisha has now become the laboratory of implementation of the welfare programmes of the Modi government, he said.

''The people should know that Odisha has benefitted the most from Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and the Ujjawal Yojana. The highest allocation of up to Rs 10,000 crore has been made for developing the state's railway network, besides setting up an Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) near Gopalpur,'' he said, asking party workers to spread awareness about the central schemes in the state.

Pradhan said the Centre would invest in building an airport in Berhampur if the state government provides the necessary land.

During his visit Berhampur, Pradhan went to the Maa Tara Tarini temple near Purushottampur. It was recently renovated by the state government.