Odisha lost two sons on Thursday in the worst-ever terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir that killed at least 43 CRPF Jawans and left many others critically injured.
The State’s deceased Jawans were Havildar Prasanna Kumar Sahoo and Constable Manoj Kumar Behera.
While Sahoo was a resident of Shikhar village under the Naugaon police station of Jagatsinghpur district, Behera was a native of Niali in Cuttack district.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who termed the Pulwama terror attack as a ‘cowardly act’, on Friday spoke to the bereaved family members of both the martyred Odia Jawans over telephone and expressed his deep grief over the demise of the two brave-hearts.
Patnaik called up the family members of martyred Prasanna Sahoo of Ratanpur village in Jagatsinghpur district and Manoj Behera of Ratanpur village in Cuttack district and conveyed his deep sympathy towards them. “Ma, I am deeply grieved; I am with you,” the CM told the mothers and wives of the martyrs.
The CM also observed a one-minute silent prayer in the State Secretariat paying tributes to the martyrs. Besides, the Chief Minister appealed to all educational institutions in the State to observe two minutes’ silence at 11 am on Saturday in tribute the 40 CRPF Jawans of the country martyred in in Phulwama.
Besides, Patnaik directed Finance Minister Sashi Bhusan Behera and Health Minister Pratap Jena to visit the two families.
The Chief Minister also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the two Jawans.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed deep grief over the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed his sympathy to the bereaved families of the CRPF personnel.
He said the supreme sacrifice of the Jawans won’t go in vain. He further said he was deeply shocked after hearing the news of martyrdom of two Odia Jawans Prasanna Sahu and Manoj Behera in the terror attack. He also spoke to the families of the two jawans and consoled them.
He said the entire country is with the families of both Jawans. PCC president Niranjan Patnaik also deeply mourned the demsise of two Odia victims of the terror attack.
