President Invites Odisha Health Worker, Assam Conservationist To Rashtrapati Bhavan For Independence Day Reception
The recognition celebrates two unsung heroes whose work has strengthened healthcare in Odisha and restored forests in Assam, report Panchanan Dash and Pranab Kumar Das.
Published : August 6, 2026 at 12:25 PM IST
Malkangiri (Odisha)/Tezpur (Assam): Two grassroots changemakers from Odisha and Assam have received invites from Rashtrapati Bhavan for the President of India’s Independence Day ‘At Home’ Reception on August 15 in recognition of their exceptional public service in some of the country’s most remote regions.
While Durgaprasad Sahu, a health worker from Odisha’s Malkangiri district, has been recognised for over a decade of dedicated healthcare services in the remote tribal region, Didom Daimari of Assam’s Udalguri district has earned national recognition for leading community-driven forest restoration and wildlife conservation efforts along the Indo-Bhutan-Arunachal Pradesh border.
The President’s ‘At Home’ Reception on Independence Day is one of the country’s most prestigious ceremonial events, attended by distinguished personalities from across India. An invitation from Rashtrapati Bhavan has been sent to both, where President Droupadi Murmu will meet the invitees during the Independence Day reception.
For 13 years, Durgaprasad has been serving at the Andahal Health Sub-Centre under Khairiput block in Malkangiri district, providing healthcare to nearly 4,000 people, including members of the vulnerable Bonda tribal community. His work includes malaria, tuberculosis (TB) and leprosy control, maternal and child healthcare, immunisation and regular health camps.
Every Tuesday and Friday, during Mamata Diwas, he visits villages to conduct health check-ups for pregnant women and children.
On receiving the invitation, Sahu said, “This is an absolute honour for me. I am grateful to the President for recognising my service in such a remote area at the highest level of the country. I will continue to serve the people with the same dedication in the coming days as well.”
Born in Angul district in 1983, Sahu has been working in Malkangiri since 2013. He said he had been transferred last year, but local tribal residents requested the district administration to retain him because of the trust he had built over the years.
“I do not want to leave this place because I have been accepted by the people and they show so much affection,” he said.
Meanwhile, in Assam, Didom Daimari’s journey began in 2014 when he joined hands with villagers under the Dhansiri Sikaridanga Joint Forest Management Committee to restore degraded forests in the Bhairabkunda landscape.
Over the past 12 years, the community-led initiative has restored nearly 600 hectares of degraded land and planted more than 10 lakh indigenous saplings, creating habitats for wildlife and improving ecological resilience in the Eastern Himalayan tri-junction of Assam, Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh.
Beyond afforestation, Didom has actively participated in wildlife rescue operations, biodiversity monitoring, bird surveys and programmes to mitigate human-elephant conflict.
Since 2023, he has been serving as Field Coordinator of the Elephant Research and Conservation Division at Aaranyak, working on elephant habitat conservation, community outreach and scientific monitoring. He has also partnered with WWF India, ASTEC and FXB India on conservation and rural development initiatives. A licensed eco-tourism guide since 2018, he earlier taught Computer Science and Environmental Science at St. Paul English School.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, he expressed his happiness at being invited by the President of India and said, “Receiving an invitation letter from the President of India is one of the greatest honours of my life. It filled me with immense pride, gratitude and humility. This invitation is not only a recognition of my personal journey but also an acknowledgment of the collective efforts of my community in protecting nature and promoting conservation. I was invited for the Vibrant Village Programme too.”
As a conservationist, he expressed gratitude to the people with whom he works to restore forests, protect wildlife and serve society. "This honour inspires me to work with even greater dedication and responsibility,” he added.
Thanking the President, he said, “I dedicate this recognition to my community, my colleagues and all those who believe that protecting nature is our shared responsibility. This memorable occasion will remain a lifelong source of inspiration, motivating me to continue serving the nation through environmental conservation and community development.”
Didom had earlier received the Grassroots Conservation Award 2025 (Jury’s Special Mention and Appreciation) from Aaranyak.
The recognition of both Durgaprasad and Didom highlights the impact of dedicated grassroots work in healthcare and environmental conservation, bringing national attention to people who are silently transforming lives in remote tribal and border regions of Odisha and Assam.
Every year, around 450 specially selected invitations are sent to individuals who have made exceptional contributions in fields such as public service, social work, conservation, healthcare, innovation, sports, arts and grassroots development.
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