Bhubaneswar: Maharaja Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo was an ace administrator and a great democrat who always had the welfare of people in mind, said Manmath Vijay Singh Deo.
Speaking at the garlanding ceremony at a function organised to commemorate 112 birth anniversary of the late Maharaja, here on Sunday Morning, Shri Singh Deo, Grand Son of the legendary statesman fondly remembered his Grand Father.
Shri Singh Deo spoke at length in the garlanding ceremony organized by Department of Odia Language, Literature and Culture and seid he was an embodiment of love, affection and humility.
Manmath is known for his simplicity, humility and straightforwardness, which he learnt from his Grand Father R N Singh Deo and Father A U Singh Deo, said a close aide of Singh Deo Family.
Pratap Kesari Singh Deo recalled the welfare measures taken up by Maharaja in the Patna Estate and later for the entire State as the Chief Minister.
He said that Maharaja did not believe in words and set examples through his work.
Jayant Narayan Singh Deo said such was his popularity in the Western Odisha districts that he along with Kalahandi Maharaja could limit Congress to some coastal Odisha pockets in 1957 polls.
Stating that the Maharaja was the first to sign the merger document during the visit of Sardar Ballabhbhai Patel to Cuttack, Sanjeeb Mishra, senior advocate said that he also handed over the keys of the treasury to Shri Patel unlike Heads of many other princely states.
An close associate of Singh Deo Family, Satyanarayan lauded the achievements of R N Singh Deo and his family members.
Girija Shankar Mahapatra, Subash Chandra Sahu, Manabendra Mishra, Asit Palatasingh, Ramesh Chandra Palatasingh and several other spoke about the contributions of the former Chief Minister towards Odisha at large.