BALASORE: Former minister and senior BJD leader from Balasore district Ananta Das passed away at his residence in Bhubaneswar in the early hours of Sunday. He was 85.
Family sources said Das was suffering from age-old related ailments for a long time and breathed his last at about 4 am.
Born on August 28, 1940 in Kuruthia village under Balim Panchayat under Bhogarai block, Das was a post graduate in Arts with a law degree and served as an officer of Odisha Administrative Service cadre.
After retiring from the service, he formed Bhogarai Vikas Parishad and dedicated himself to the development of the region.
The senior BJD leader represented Bhogarai constituency four times. He was first elected to the legislative Assembly in 2004 on BJD ticket and continued to win consecutive elections in 2009, 2014 and 2019.
Das was the minister for Higher Education and Industries between 2017 and 2019 in the Naveen Patnaik government. Before that he was the chief whip of BJD in the Assembly from 2014 to 2017.
As an IAS officer he had served as executive officer Balasore Municipality, deputy secretary of State Election Commission, deputy secretary of Revenue and Panchayati Raj Departments and additional district magistrate of Bhadrak.
Prominent leaders have condoled his death. Expressing deep sorrow, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the state has lost a dedicated public servant. He described Das as a popular leader stating that he has contributed significantly for the development of the state and Balasore region during his tenure as a legislator and minister.
BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik also expressed condolences. "I am saddened to learn of the passing away of senior party leader and former minister Ananta Das.
His long service to the people as a legislator will always be remembered. I extend my condolences to the bereaved family in this hour of grief and pray for the eternal peace of his soul," Patnaik posted on his X handle.
Several other leaders including former MP Rabindra Kumar Jena, Jaleswar MLA Ashwini Kumar Patra, Basta MLA Subashini Jena, Bhogarai MLA Gautam Buddha Das, former MLA Umarani Patra and former MLA Sushant Kumar Chand have condoled the demise of Das.