Malkangiri/Bhubaneswar: Anupriya Lakra, a tribal woman from Odisha's Maoist-hit Malkangiri district has become the first female pilot from the region. The 27-year-old will soon join a private airline as a co-pilot. Lakra achieved this feat 7 years after joining an aviation academy, which she had joined after quitting engineering studies midway.

Acknowledging the achievement, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik congratulated Lakra on her success and said, "I am happy to learn about the success of Anupriya Lakra. The success achieved by her through dedicated efforts and perseverance is an example for many."

Daughter of Mariniyas Lakra, a Havildar in Odish Police and Jamaj Yashmin Lakra, a homemaker, Anupriya completed her matriculation from a convent in Malkangiri and higher secondary from a school in Semiliguda.

She quit her engineering studies in Bhubaneswar mid-way and prepared for pilot entrance test in Bhubaneswar, her father said. In 2012, Anupriya joined the Pilot Training Institute in Bhubaneswar, he said.

"We are very happy that her dream of becoming a pilot has now become a reality. She will be working as a co-pilot in a private airline," Mariniyas said.

She has been selected as a co-pilot in a private airline and is likely to fly abroad shortly. "It is a big achievement for somebody from a backward district like Malkangiri. Her success has come after seven years of hard work," he said.

Ecstatic about the success, her mother said "I am very happy. It is a matter of pride for the people of Malkangiri. Her success will inspire other girls." Anupriya was always encouraged to make efforts to translate her dreams into reality, her mother said.

With PTI inputs