Bhubaneswar: Padma Shri Dr. Debi Prasanna Pattanayak to be awarded Rs. 20 lakh and certificate in 1st World Odia Language Conference, said reports on Wednesday. On the occasion of the First World Odia Language Conference which is to be held on February 3, the eminent Litterateur will be honored with the first-ever World Odia Language Award. Pattanayak has been honored with Padma Shri for his dedicated efforts towards the betterment of Indian languages. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will honor the renowned linguist Dr. Debi Prasanna Pattanayak with the World Oriya Award in recognition of his lifelong dedication towards the research of Odia language. Pattanayak’s research has been instrumental in enriching the Odia language. He is a prominent scholar and linguist of India. He was also the founding director of Indian Language Institute. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today unveiled the logo of the first World Oriya Language Conference. It has the tagline ‘Language is the Future’. On this occasion, the Chief Minister wished the conference a huge success. It is worth noting that this conference is being held from February 3 to 5. This World Odia Language Conference will be an introduction to the identity of Odisha. There will be a detailed discussion on how to further popularize the classical language of Odia. In today’s changing situation and the age of technology, this language conference will attract the youth towards the Odia language.