RAIPUR,CG,INDIA: The inspiring journey from a small village to an engineering degree, admission to IIT Dhanbad, and finally securing a prestigious managerial position at Tata Steel is ‘a dream come true’ for any child from a working-class background. The dream became a reality for Pankaj Sahu, a young man from a labour family.

On the occasion of Vishwakarma Jayanti, Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai honoured Pankaj Sahu and his family for the outstanding achievement at the state-level Shramik Sammelan held in Raipur. The Chief Minister congratulated them and extended his best wishes for Sahu’s bright future. Currently, Pankaj Sahu holds the position of Manager at Tata Steel in Odisha.

Hailing from Darri (Kharenga) in the Dhamtari district, Pankaj Sahu’s father worked in a private shop in Dhamtari, while his mother, Gyanbati Sahu, worked as a labourer. He completed his primary education in Kharenga village. He later graduated in engineering from the Government Engineering College in Jagdalpur (Bastar). Taking advantage of the Medhavi Shiksha Protsahan Yojana, a scholarship program for meritorious students offered by the Labour Department, Sahu secured admission to IIT Dhanbad, where he completed his M.Tech.

Sahu proudly shared that he earned a gold medal during his M.Tech studies. After initially being placed with Vedanta Resources, he is now working as a manager at Tata Steel with an annual package of Rs. 18 lakh. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to the state government for the Medhavi Shiksha Protsahan Yojana, acknowledging how the scheme has made higher education more accessible to children from financially disadvantaged families like his.