Odisha’s Dr Padmaj Paul To Receive First Sukubina Srashta Srujan Samman

Bhubaneswar: Dr Padmaj Paul, novelist and short story writer, will receive the first Sukubina Srashta Memorial Award for excellence in the field of Odia literature.

Dr Sitakanta Mohapatra, eminent poet, Padma Bibhushan and Jnanpith Award winner, will confer the award on Paul at a function on March 3. The award carries a citation and cash prize of Rs 50,000.

The Sukubina Srashta Memorial Trust was set up in memory of Sudhir Kumar Bijayendra Narayan, well-known Odia short story writer and philanthropist, popularly known as ‘Japani babu’, after his death in July last year, to promote literature, art and culture of Odisha. The award, to be given annually, was set up by Narayan’s family.

Paul was selected by an eminent panel of judges and trustees, Jitendra Narayan Dash (Dash Benhur), Prof Jatindra Kumar Nayak, Dr Gourahari Das and Pradeep Biswal.

The first volume of Narayan’s complete works ‘Japani Babanka Katha Samahara’, published by Paschima publications, will also be released on the occasion.