Year 2020 remained gloomy for people of Sundargarh district as Covid-19 dominated most of the period, except some exceptional achievements by a few youths who brought laurels for the district.
During first week of January 2020, Bonei lad Debasis Panda topped the Odisha Civil Services Exam 2018 and brought laurels for Sundargarh district. Total eight persons including three girls of Sundargarh district, cracked the State Civil Service Exam.
Deepak Bara, son of an auto driver of Damposh village under Kutra block of Sundargarh district, cracked OCS exam in his first attempt and secured 192 rank and has become source of inspiration for others.
Former Sundargarh Congress MP Maurice Kujur passed away on January 12. About five women workers of Sundargarh district, were killed and six others were injured on January 22 after a car ran over the women workers and later hit a SUV.Deadly virus Corona appeared in the month of March and gripped the entire world. People of Sundargarh district, had to stay indoor during lockdown and shut down period. Covid 19 positive cases first came to fore in Sundargarh district in April 12. First Covid 19 testing center commenced at IGH, Rourkela on April 15. During the lockdown period in third week of April, a wedding also took place in Lepripada block in Sundargarh district, where bride and groom also wore masks to contain spread of Covid-19.
A number of Covid-19 patients succumbed to the decease. A few well known doctors of Sundargarh district passed away due to Covid-19 too. Auto drivers and daily wage earners struggled for their survival and porters also had to suffer due to lockdown as trains did not run. Idol makers had also to suffer for their survival because Ganesh Chaturthi was not celebrated in public places.
On June 26, Inspector Incharge of Birmitrapur police station Ananda Chandra Majhi was suspended in connection with rape and abortion of a girl. The Crime branch took the case and later Majhi was also arrested.A doctor of Community Health Centre, Birmitrapur Debasis Ghosh was also arrested and was sent to jail in this case during the month July but further there is no significant progress in the case. Rourkela girl Sanjita Mahapatra cracked UPSC examination and secured 10th rank and brought laurels for Sundargarh district and State and one Manas Ranjan Sahu, a resident of Jareikela village of Bisra block of Sundargarh district, who was working as Tehsildar at Rourkela, also cracked UPSC and secured 567 rank during August first week. Archana Soreng, a climate activist, a girl of Kutra block of Sundargarh district, made India proud after being selected by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during the month August, to his new advisory group comprising seven young leaders from the world.
Two school boys identified as Hariom Gautam and Satwik Patnaik of Sundargarh district, brought laurels for Sundargarh district and for the State after winning Ist position in Discovery School Super League Quiz completion, whose result was declared during August third week and both of them would get chance to go to all expenses trip to NASA, USA.
The Rourkela Vigilance Division opened at Rourkela on September 7. Rourkela boy Soyeb Aftab created history after scoring 720 out of 720 marks in National-Eligibility- Cum-Entrance Test (NEET) 2020 during the month of October. Soyeb brought laurels for Sundargarh district and also for Odisha for his exceptional feat.
Pranab Khaitan, a youth of Rourkela, living in US, brought laurels for Rourkela and Odisha as he was one of the key contributors to the World Food Progamme, which was recently awarded for Noble peace prize. Birju Kulu, a man of Kutra block of Sundargarh district, who had been freed from Pakistan jail after 20 years, united with his family in his native place on November 13. Chief Minister Naveen Pattnaik inaugurated advanced sanitisation system in Sundargarh on December 4 through virtual mode.
The President of International Hockey Federation Narinder Dhruv Batra and Odisha Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera and other senior Government officials visited Rourkela on December 11 and reviewed the preparations for the Hockey World Cup 2023 and also discussed for the infrastructural development of city and also for development of venue.
