Padma Shri awardee, seventy-year-old Daitari Naik, daily wage labourer from Odisha wants to return India’s fourth highest civilian award as it has effectively taken away source of his livelihood as daily-wage labourer as he isn’t getting work as people think they will “bear a stain if they continued to give me work”.
Daitari Naik became a household name after he his name was announced for Padma Shri for carving out a three kilometre canal by carving out mountains. The Mountain Man of Odisha, carved out a canal from the Gonasika Mountains to bring water to irrigate 100 acre parched land in his village. He is from Talabaitarani village that is located in Banspal block of Keonjhar district of the state.
News18