Bhubaneswar, Oct. 15: Voice of SOA Community 90.4, the Community Radio station of Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan (SOA), completed the tenth year of its existence on Saturday with SOA Vice-President Ms. Saswati Das recalling its splendid role in providing information and guidance during cyclones and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Voice of SOA Community Radio 90.4 was in the forefront providing information when cyclone ‘Fani’ hit the Odisha coast a few years ago badly affecting Bhubaneswar city and also during the pandemic, Ms. Das said while addressing a program organised to mark the day.
Popularly known as SOA Radio, the station had traversed a long path successfully by providing important inputs in the areas of healthcare and agriculture while broadcasting the views of various educationists, doctors, scientists and researchers.
She congratulated the staff members and RJs running the show while wishing them success. She also recalled the contributions of RJ Shabnam Shireen who passed away after being infected with Covid-19. A minute’s silence was also observed in her memory.
SOA Chancellor, Prof. D.P. Ray, Vice-Chancellor Prof. (Dr.) Ashok Kumar Mahapatra, Pro-Vice Chancellor cum Registrar Prof. B.B.Pradhan, Deans of different institutes and others were present on the occasion.
Prof. Ray thanked the staff and RJs for the excellent work they had done during the pandemic while Prof. (Dr.) Mahapatra said radio was a medium which would continue to play an important role in enlightening the society.
Prof. (Dr.) Mahapatra said radio could penetrate into places where several other agencies could not reach while encouraging the staff members to prepare programs of good quality.
Ms. Honey Patnaik, officer-in-charge of SOA Community Radio 90.4, provided an account of the programs being broadcast by the station. RJ Ramaballabh recounted his experience of informing the people of the city about the impending cyclone ‘Fani’ while being confined to the studio for two days with other RJs.
Prof. (Dr.) Sanghamitra Mishra, Dean, IMS and SUM Hospital, Prof. (Dr.) Neeta Mohanty, Dean, Institute of Dental Sciences, Prof. Jyoti Ranjan Das, SOA’s Dean (Students’ Welfare), Dr. Madhubrata Mohanty, Joint Registrar, Mr. Sunil Das, CEO, Summa Real Media Pvt Ltd, Mr. Debanarayan Sethi, Working Editor, News7 and Mr. Debendra Suar, Chief of Bureau, The Prameya, were present. Three student RJs Ms. Subhashree Rath, Mr. Saswat Pandey and Mr. Mohammed Yusuf also attended. Ms. Subhrasima Mohanty, Junior Program Coordinator, compeered the program.