23-year old tribal woman becomes first female pilot from Malkangiri district
Malkangiri/Bhubaneswar: Her dream to touch the sky has catapulted a tribal woman from Odisha's Maoist-hit Malkangiri district to become the first female pilot from the backward region.
Twenty-three-year-old Anupriya Lakra's dream of becoming a pilot has become a reality seven years after she quit engineering studies midway and joined an aviation academy here in 2012.
The woman from the tribal-dominated district is all set to join a private airline as a co-pilot.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has congratulated Lakra for the rare feat achieved through dedication and grit and said it will set an example for others to emulate.
"I am happy to learn about the success of Anupriya Lakra. The success achieved by her through dedicated efforts and perseverance is an example for many," Patnaik tweeted, wishing Anupriya more achievements as an able pilot.
Daughter of Mariniyas Lakra, a Havildar in Odisha Police and Jamaj Yashmin Lakra, a homemaker, Anupriya completed her matriculation from a convent in Malkangiri and higher secondary from a school in Semiliguda.
With a passion of becoming a pilot, she quit her engineering studies in Bhubaneswar mid-way and prepared for pilot entrance test in Bhubaneswar, her father said.
In 2012, Anupriya joined the Pilot Training Institute in Bhubaneswar, he said. "We are very happy that her dream of becoming a pilot has now become a reality. She will be working as a co-pilot in a private airline," Mariniyas said.
She has been selected as a co-pilot in a private airline and is likely to fly abroad shortly.
"It is a big achievement for somebody from a backward district like Malkangiri. Her success has come after seven years of hard work," he said.
Jubilant over Anupriya's success, her mother said "I am very happy. It is a matter of pride for the people of Malkangiri. Her success will inspire other girls."
Anupriya was always encouraged to make efforts to translate her dreams into reality, her mother said.
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Unruly scenes witnessed in Punjab Assembly
Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab Assembly on Friday witnessed high drama on Friday after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira made an allegedly objectionable remark against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during an intense argument over the alleged use of mobile phone in the house by the legislator.
During the one-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, Mann accused Khaira of using a mobile phone when Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out an official resolution on the revision of wages.
After rising from his seat, the chief minister pointed to the speaker, claiming that Khaira is busy on his mobile phone and urged him to ask the Congress MLA what Sandhwan had said about the resolution.
The speaker then asked Khaira to maintain order in the house and listen to the resolution carefully.
Mann then asked Khaira, "Why don't you go out and then use it (mobile phone)," which led to a strong verbal altercation during which the opposition MLA hurled an accusation against the chief minister. Meanwhile, the speaker appealed for order and insisted that the chair be addressed.
However, both Mann and Khaira continued arguing and could be seen pointing fingers at each other as the proceedings of the house were disrupted.
The AAP MLAs also rose from their seats with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemning Khaira for his conduct and demanded action against him.
Cheema further alleged that Khaira "always tries to disturb the house" as he spoke about his conduct in the assembly.
The incident occurred as an official resolution on the revision of wages was presented at the special session by Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond who said it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers' Day.
"Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat," the resolution read.
As per the resolution, "The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages.
On this sacred occasion of May Day, in this special session of the legislative assembly, this house proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers and strongly recommends to the government to take a decision regarding the increase of minimum wages for workers, so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged." PRK
