Republic Day 2021: Six from Odisha to receive prestigious Padma awards today

Five others from the state to receive the Padma Shri include Shanti Devi (social work), Purnamasi Jani (art), Rajat Kumar Kar (literature and education), Nanda Prusty (literature and education) and Dr Krishna Mohan Pathi (medicine).

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“I dedicate this award to the people of Odisha. I had never expected that I would receive the award at the age of 83. I am thankful to the Centre and the state government,” said sculptor Sudarshan Sahoo.

Meanwhile, patrolling has been intensified at power substations in Delhi following a threat from the banned Sikhs for Justice outfit to disrupt the city’s supply during the Republic Day celebrations.

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An official said around 6,000 security personnel have been deployed to maintain vigil. Facial recognition systems have also been set up at vantage points for suspect identification, the official said. The security personnel are keeping a hawk-eyed vigil over Rajpath, where President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be celebrating the occasion along with other dignitaries and thousands of people.

Checking and frisking at Rajghat will be done by personnel in PPE kits, with mask and face shield, keeping in line with COVID-19 protocols, the official said. A five-layer security cover has been deployed in and around the city to maintain law and order, a senior police officer said.

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Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Eish Singhal said more than 6,000 police personnel have been deployed at Rajpath for the Republic Day celebrations. Following COVID protocols, only 25,000 people will be allowed to attend the ceremony at Rajpath as opposed to over one lakh spectators who usually attended the event every year, he said. The parade will be shorter this year.

Instead of marching up to the Red Fort, the parade will end at the national stadium. Only tableaux will be allowed at the Red Fort, he said. “We have 140 CCTV cameras on the Republic Day parade route and along the enclosures. We have identified and set up facial recognition systems at 30 spots on Rajpath from where the public would enter.