BHUBANESWAR: The last rites of former union minister Dr Debendra Pradhan were performed at Swargadwar in Puri on Tuesday with full state honours. His mortal remains were consigned to flames amid chanting of mantras as his elder son Soumendra Pradhan lit the funeral pyre.
The cremation ceremony, held amidst a massive gathering, was attended by family members, dignitaries and hundreds of mourners. Apart from his younger son Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, prominent among those present at the funeral included Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and several of his cabinet colleagues, Yoga guru Baba Ramdev, MPs, MLAs and BJP workers.
The chief minister said BJP formed the government in Odisha as Dr Pradhan had laid the party’s foundation stone in the state. He worked tirelessly at the grassroots level, turning the party into a mighty organisation.
As a union minister, he made significant contribution for development of Odisha, especially enhancing the national highway connectivity. Dr Pradhan dedicated his entire life for the party and development of the state.