Shambhavi Puraskar given

The prestigious 'Shambhavi Puraskar' for 2016 was today presented to Sabarmatee of Nayagarh district of Odisha for her contribution towards social work.
The award carrying a trophy, citation and a cash prize of Rs 2.5 lakh was presented by Anu Aga, Director Thermax Ltd & Chairperson Teach for India along with Prof Sachidananda Mohanty, Vice Chancellor of Central University of Orissa, at a function held here.
'Shambhavi Puraskar' was instituted by Bansidhar & Ila Panda Foundation (BIPF) in 2014 in recognition of excellence and innovation by emerging social catalysts to inspire more people to act as agents of change.
Ms Sabarmatee has made a phenomenal impact on a wide gamut of areas like conservation of forests, ecological regeneration of waste land, biodiversity conservation, Sustainable Agriculture, promotion of village sanitation and hygiene, and mobilizing and supporting women to deal with gender issues, the foundation in a statement said.

Not only has she changed the surrounding environment but also the mindset of people by mobilizing them towards environment conservation, organic farming and women empowerment through innovative methods that have become case studies in current socioeconomic research.
Speaking on the occasion Shaifalika Panda, CEO, BIPF "Sabarmatee is a perfect example of an indomitable spirit undaunted by social constraints to make the impossible possible through determination, dedication and innovation."
BIPF, the social arm of IMFA, was set up with a mission of enabling lives of the marginalised groups through sustainable and scalable initiatives.