Bhubaneswar, June 23: On the occasion of the Odisha government's first anniversary, a state-level ceremony was held in Bhubaneswar where Prime Minister Narendra Modi honoured a woman entrepreneur from Malkangiri district.
The award recipient, Samari Jhigidi, is from Kadamguda village in Khairput block of Malkangiri. Known locally as a “Banda Mahila”, Samari has significantly improved her livelihood by collecting and selling various forest products, as well as by cultivating paddy and vegetables. Through these efforts, she earns an annual income of around ₹2.8 lakh.
Samari received the recognition under the “Lakhpati Didi” scheme, which supports women entrepreneurs from tribal and rural areas. She was visibly happy and proud to receive the award directly from Prime Minister Modi.
After returning to her village, Samari was given a grand welcome and felicitation by the local residents, who celebrated her achievement. She expressed hope that with further government support in the future, she could scale up her income and inspire more women in her community.
