Bhubaneswar, April 1 (IANS) The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday celebrated Odisha Day in a grand way at its state headquarters, Shankha Bhavan. The event featured patriotic songs, floral tributes to great leaders, and the felicitation of distinguished Odias. Addressing the gathering, BJD President and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik extended his greetings on Odisha Day. “The formation of a separate Odisha province was a historic moment in India’s history. Odisha is the country’s first state formed on a linguistic basis,” the former Chief Minister said. He emphasised that the vision of past leaders was to build a prosperous and self-reliant Odisha, and the BJD has been tirelessly working towards that goal. The BJD supremo paid tributes to Utkal Gaurav Madhusudan Das, Krushna Chandra Gajapati, the Maharaja of Parala, Rama Chandra Bhanja Deo, the king of Mayurbhanj, poets Gangadhar Meher and Fakir Mohan Senapati, who played a major role in the unification and formation of Odisha as a separate province. The Leader of Opposition Patnaik also highlighted that the BJD regime from 2000 to 2024 marked a new era of Odisha’s development. “Odisha has played a crucial role in the nation’s growth journey. Today, Odias are making the state proud at national and international levels. During this period, Odisha also achieved classical language status, the establishment of an Odia university, and new research initiatives in universities across India,” the former Chief Minister said. Speaking on the state’s economic transformation, the former Chief Minister said, “Over the past 24 years, Odisha has made remarkable progress in reducing poverty, bringing it down from 70 per cent to 10 per cent.” He further added that the state is moving forward on a strong foundation, and no one can halt its progress. The BJD leader reiterated the dream of legendary leader Biju Patnaik to make Odisha the number one state in Asia. “With collective efforts and determination, Biju Babu’s dream will surely be realised,” Patnaik affirmed. A fragmented Odisha was established as a separate province by the British Indian Government on April 1, 1936. The Odisha province was established by bringing together the Odia-speaking districts of Bihar and Orissa Province, Madras Presidency and Central Provinces. Odisha is the first state in India which formed on linguistic basis.