JAJPUR: The mortal remains of senior BJD leader and Rajya Sabha member, Kalpataru Das were consigned to flames at his native village Bhotaka in Jajpur district on Sunday. Hundreds of people gathered along National Highway-5 from Chandikhole to Kuakhia to bid farewell to the leader.
The body of Das arrived at Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar from New Delhi on Sunday morning. From the airport, the body was taken to BJD’s State party office where several party leaders and workers paid their respects to the departed soul.
From the BJD office, the body was taken to the official residence of Das in Bhubaneswar where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik paid his last respects. Several leaders of BJP and Congress also visited the residence of Das.
The body, before leaving for Bhotaka village, was taken to the State Assembly where it was given a Guard of Honour.
The funeral pyre was lit by Das’s eldest son, Pranab Kumar Balabantaray.
Among others, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma, Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das, former ministers Prafulla Samal and Pramila Mallik, legislators Pritiranjan Ghadei, Akash Das Nayak, Jajpur Collector Satyaranjan Mallik and a host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.