Bhubaneswar: Mumbai Odia Samaj confers Utkal Gaurav Samman to eminent Odia. Eminent heart surgeon Ramakant Panda, noted journalist Kishore Dwibedi and bureaucrat Satish B Agnihotri are among those honoured with the prestigious Utkal Gaurav Samman for their outstanding contributions to their respective fields.

The award, instituted by the Mumbai Odia Samaj (MOS), has also been conferred on film producer Asish Mishra and woman pilot from Odisha Shelbi Mishra.

Dr Panda shot into fame after conducting a successful heart operation on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Dwibedi is a prominent Delhi-based journalist representing Odia daily Samaja while Asish and Shelbi have travelled widely and earned accolades in course of their professional itineraries.