Bhubaneswar: Renowned litterateur and Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award winner Dr Gayatribala Panda was felicitated by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the latter’s residence Naveen Nivas on Saturday.
Rajya Sabha MP and husband of Panda, Manas Mangaraj, and their son Maneet were also present on the occasion.
Dr Gayatribala Panda has been chosen to be conferred with the Sahitya Akademi Award for her poetry collection “Dayanadi”.
She will receive the prestigious award and Rs 1 lakh cash award at a special function to be held by Kendra Sahitya Akademi.
Born in 1977 in Sadeipur of Jagatsinghpur district, Dr Gayatribala is the daughter of Golak Bihari Panda and Arunima Panda, and the wife of Rajya Sabha MP Manas Ranjan Mangaraj.