Jharsuguda: Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday unveiled a life-size statue of legendary freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai in front of the VSS Airport here on the occasion of the martyr’s 213th birth anniversary.
Union Coal & Mines Minister Pralhad Joshi also joined the statue unboxing ceremony in virtual mode.
Speaking on the occasion, Pradhan said Veer Surendra Sai was one of the leading freedom fighters who spent most of his life in prison. There should be a collective effort to develop the martyr’s birthplace into a tourist destination, he added.
The statue has been built at a cost of Rs 60 lakh with assistance from Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL).
Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Coal and Mines Pralhad Joshi, State Health Minister Naba Kishore Das, Bargarh MP Suresh Pujari, Jharsuguda airport director Kishore Senapati and Collector Saroj Kumar Samal were present at the virtual function.
Prime Minister Narendra had dedicated the airport to the nation in September, 2018. Later, it was named after Veer Surendra Sai.
