Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 Remembering Biju Babu Dr. Sudarsan Pradhan Bijayananda Patnaik, popularly known as Biju His days as a Pilot are more memorable and Babu was born on March 5, 1916 at Cuttack in thrilling for his historic Indonesian operations to Odisha though his forefathers hail from assist in the Indonesian independence struggle. Bhanjanagar region in Ganjam district of southern He was offered the lavish present by the Odisha. Ganjam district is known for its rich Indonesian government in 1950 for his culture. Biju’s ancestral homeland, Bhanjanagar contribution to Indonesia as a skilled pilot and is famous for Upendra act of bravery. Biju Patnaik Bhanja, the late medieval flew to Java and rescued well known Odia Poet who Sultan Sjahrir out on a boasted of the dignity and Dakota military aircraft greatness of the Odias. His reaching India safely via father was Lakshminarayan Singapore on 24th Patnaik and mother was July1947. For this act of Ashalata Patnaik. His father bravery, Biju Babu was was a great nationalist given honorary citizenship leader of Odia Movement. in Indonesia and awarded Biju Babu was a brilliant Bhoomi Putra, the highest student. Biju Babu started Indonesian award rarely his early education at Christ granted to a foreigner. Collegiate School, Cuttack. Thereafter, he joined Then he started his Ravenshaw Collegiate political career and joined School and passed Matriculation with first division Odisha politics. In the year 1946, he was elected and was admitted Intermediate Science in the to Odisha Legislative Assembly from North Ravenshaw College. He discontinued from B.Sc Cuttack Constituency. In 1952, he was elected degree and underwent training as Pilot. He from Bhanjnagar Assembly Constituency, in 1957 became a Pilot in British India, but actively from Jagannath Prasad Assembly Constituency participated in the Indian Independence struggle. both in Ganjam district. In 1961, he became the FEBRUARY-MARCH - 2021 1 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review President of Odisha Pradesh Congress Books. He introduced corporate system of Committee. In the same year the Congress Party administration as a step towards decentralization won Mid-term Assembly Elections under his of power of administration at Government level. leadership. In that election, Congress Party The Industrial Development Corporation, secured absolute majority by winning 82 seats Odisha Mining Corporation and Odisha out of 140 seats in the Odisha Legislative Forest Corporation are three giant Corporations Assembly and formed the Government. Biju Babu which were created by him. won from Choudwar Constituency. He became He had keen interest to restore the glory the Chief Minister of Odisha for two years and of sea trade for which Odisha had earned great later resigned from Chief Minister’s post on reputation in the ancient past. Biju Babu believed October 2, 1963 because of Kamaraj Plan. Biju that without State’s own port, the rich natural Babu took a lot of steps for the rapid resources could not be exported to other industrialisation of Odisha as Chief Minister. He countries and foreign exchange could not be managed to set up M.I.G (Aero-Engine) factory earned. Therefore, the project of Paradeep Port at Sunabeda by persuading the then Prime came to his mind and he took personal interest Minister Nehru. for its immediate function. Finally, late Jawaharlal Nehru the then Prime Minister of India, laid the There was significant development in the foundation stone of the Port on 3rd January 1962 field of education - both Technical and General near the confluence of the river Mahanadi and Education during the first Chief Minister’s tenure. the Bay of Bengal at Paradeep. After the The Odisha University of Agriculture and foundation was laid by Nehru for connection of Technology (O.U.A.T) and Sainik School were Paradeep Port , the Government of India did not set up at Bhubaneswar. Regional College of clear the Project raising some technical Engineering was also set up at Rourkela. For objections. But this did not stop Biju Babu to fulfill the promotion of technical education, he arranged his dream for which he had sanctioned Rs.13 crore stipends to poor meritorious students for the first from the Odisha Contingency Fund to march time. He made an arrangement for setting up of a ahead with the progress. That Paradeep Port is General College in each Sub-divisional now one of the leading ports in the Eastern India. headquarters of the State ensuring Higher Biju Babu also translated the idea of connecting Education for all. the Paradeep Port with the rich mineral area at Daitari in Jajpur district and introduced road traffic Talcher Thermal Power Plant, for which the Express Road Ways came in to Balimela Hydro-electric Projects etc. are the being, in record time. It is one of the great memorable testimonies of his successful achievements of Biju Patnaik. achievement. During this period, seven Sugar Mills, twenty one Tile Making units, ten small In 1974, he fought elections in Patkura Foundries and one Paper Mill were also and won and became the leader of opposition in established in Odisha. He gave a boost to the Odisha Legislative Assembly. He was the key Panchayat Industries. He created Tribal and Rural player in the formation of Janata Party and was Welfare Department and nationalized the Text the head of its Odisha State unit. In 1977, he 2 FEBRUARY-MARCH - 2021 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 contested from Kendrapara Loka Sabha the then Revenue Secretary as members and a Constituency and won. After 15 years, he came report was submitted by it, yet no decision could to power again when he was made the Minister, be taken during the last 20 years in this regard. Steel and Mines at the centre under Morarji Desai. In 1980, leaders of erstwhile Janata Party in The process of renovation of Panchayati different outfits and camps fell before the Indira Raj system in the state was started by Biju Patnaik. wave. But he retained the Kendrapara seat. He Reservation of women seats increased up to 33% made a hat-trick when he retained this seat in 1984 in Gram Panchayat and Panchayat Samiti level despite the tremendous Indira sympathy wave in of Local Self Government. He was the first leader favour of the Congress Party. in the country to have achieved this object of emancipation of women much before anybody In 1985, he resigned Loka Sabha seat to could conceive the idea and before the contest Bhubaneswar Assembly Constituency and Constitution of India was amended. Minimum he won in spite of Indira sympathy wave for the wage of labourer was enhanced from Rs. 10/- to Congress Party. He made another hat-trick when Rs.25/- and he enforced its implementation with he retained the seat in 1990 and 1995 Assembly true spirit. elections. He gave emphasis for establishment of a After a gap of 27 years, Biju Babu second major Steel Plant in Odisha and took returned to the power of state politics. His second special interest in this regard. He invited MESCO, th tenure of Chief Ministership started from 5 led by Rita Singh, Ratan Tata, Bhushan and March 1990 which was very special for Biju Babu Ganapati Companies and Lord Swaraj Paul for th (Birth Day) to 15 March 1995. He was the this purpose. Lord Paul had visited Odisha at the second Chief Minister of Odisha next to J.B. initiative of a German based Odia Engineer Dr. Patnaik of Congress Party who completed his Rajendra Narayan Das and several rounds of five years tenure and provided political stability talks with Biju Patnaik for setting up a Steel Plant to the state. In 1990 Election, Biju created an all at Daitari areas of Jajpur district were made. The time record by getting 123 Members elected out foundation stone of Steel Plant was laid in the of 147. The Congress Party, which had remained area of Kalinga Nagar. in office uninterruptedly for ten long years, could secure only 10 seats. The significant features in As a token of economic measures, he the elections was that the age of voting right was abolished the system of surrender leave, Leave reduced from 21 to 18 years. Travel Concession, Deputation Allowance, Special Pay and other fringe benefits previously The most important features of his second enjoyed by Government employees for so many tenure as Chief Minister were the reorganisation years. of districts raising their number from 13 to 30. Though in this direction in early 1970s, a District During Biju Babu’s Second term Chief Reorganisation Committee had been constituted Ministership, provisions were made to establish with Justice Raj Kishore Das as its Chairman, Special Courts by abolishing Lokpal system Udaya Nath Sahu and Sudhansu Mohan Patnaik, considered by him as ineffective, for trial of all FEBRUARY-MARCH - 2021 3 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review classes relating to corruption charges levelled is the most vocal proponent of Odisha’s pride against persons occupying higher posts and and prestige, glory and greatness, self respect, Ministers. Cases were filed against eleven self-pride of the Odia people in the best part of Ministers who had held office during the period the 20th century. Odisha and her people are 1980-90. The residence of some of the accused extremely fortunate to have Biju Patnaik, the persons was raided and their cases were tried by illustrious son of the soil served the state as Chief the Special Courts. Even more stringent action Minister with indomitable spirit, untiring zeal and was taken by Government against the officers who enthusiasm and firm resolve. were involved with corrupt practices. One of the privileges which many officers had been enjoying Biju Babu is fairly well known all over for long years was occupational a Government India and abroad for his charismatic leadership.