“Every citizen of this country must uphold the unity and integrity of the nation and thereby must strive to contribute to the overall development of the nation,” said former MLA M  P Appacchu Ranjan.

Addressing the 60th Independence Day celebrations organised by the National Festivals Celebration Committee at Government Model Primary School on Wednesday, he said that youth power is the greatest power of any nation and hence it is very essential to channelise and utilise this power in right direction. He said that they must be positively utilised for nation building process by imbibing good values in them.

He lauded the efforts of the committee which has been celebrating all major national festivals by bringing people from all walks of life under one roof.

Committe President DySP Devasingh Nayak presided over the programme. Earlier, police, NCC and students from various schools and colleges performed a march past. Later, members of the fire brigade performed a mock demonstration of a fire mishap in a thatch and how the mishap can be controlled.