Anna of Odisha politics Surjya Narayan Patro passes away

By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: One of the senior-most BJD leaders and former speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly Surjya Narayan Patro handed away at a personal hospital right here on Saturday. He was 75.

A seven-time MLA, Patro gained 4 instances from the Mohana Assembly seat in Gajapati district and thrice from Digapahandi in Ganjam district. The sitting MLA of Digapahandi had by no means tasted electoral defeat in his greater than three-decade-long energetic political profession.

Patro had the distinctive distinction of being a minister within the Janata Dal authorities of Biju Patnaik after his first election to the Assembly in 1990. After BJD got here to energy in 2000, Patro emerged as a continuing characteristic within the Naveen Patnaik cabinet until the fifteenth Assembly (2014-19).

He held essential portfolios like Energy, Revenue and Disaster Management, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Cooperation, Forest and Environment, Information Technology and Tourism and Culture. After the 2019 elections, he was elected as speaker of the Assembly and needed to depart the submit in June final 12 months due to well being points.

A veteran in Ganjam politics, Patro, an advocate by occupation, began his political profession as a councillor of Berhampur Municipality in 1977. An ardent follower of legendary Biju Patnaik from his pupil days, Anna (as Patro was fondly known as) then took a plunge into electoral politics in 1990 and by no means appeared again. He was elected to the Assembly consecutively for seven instances.

A widely-travelled Patro loved his stint as Energy Minister probably the most. A very good orator, he had the uncommon expertise to know the topic rapidly and provides an extempore speech on any situation with out batting an eyelid. Once he was addressing a gathering of state electrical energy regulators from throughout the nation as Energy Minister.

As he began talking in regards to the reforms undertaken by the Odisha authorities in energy sector and the rising points earlier than the regulator to handle, a few of the regulators from exterior the state have been taken abruptly by Patro’s deep understanding of topics like engineering and commerce.

A person of all seasons, Patro endeared himself to everybody together with his bitter political rivals. He had style for meals and liked to gorge on sweets regardless of being diabetic. He is survived by his spouse Rajshree, two sons and a daughter. P5

BHUBANESWAR: One of the senior-most BJD leaders and former speaker of the Odisha Legislative Assembly Surjya Narayan Patro handed away at a personal hospital right here on Saturday. He was 75.

A seven-time MLA, Patro gained 4 instances from the Mohana Assembly seat in Gajapati district and thrice from Digapahandi in Ganjam district. The sitting MLA of Digapahandi had by no means tasted electoral defeat in his greater than three-decade-long energetic political profession.

Patro had the distinctive distinction of being a minister within the Janata Dal authorities of Biju Patnaik after his first election to the Assembly in 1990. After BJD got here to energy in 2000, Patro emerged as a continuing characteristic within the Naveen Patnaik cabinet until the fifteenth Assembly (2014-19).googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

He held essential portfolios like Energy, Revenue and Disaster Management, Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare, Cooperation, Forest and Environment, Information Technology and Tourism and Culture. After the 2019 elections, he was elected as speaker of the Assembly and needed to depart the submit in June final 12 months due to well being points.

A veteran in Ganjam politics, Patro, an advocate by occupation, began his political profession as a councillor of Berhampur Municipality in 1977. An ardent follower of legendary Biju Patnaik from his pupil days, Anna (as Patro was fondly known as) then took a plunge into electoral politics in 1990 and by no means appeared again. He was elected to the Assembly consecutively for seven instances.

A widely-travelled Patro loved his stint as Energy Minister probably the most. A very good orator, he had the uncommon expertise to know the topic rapidly and provides an extempore speech on any situation with out batting an eyelid. Once he was addressing a gathering of state electrical energy regulators from throughout the nation as Energy Minister.

As he began talking in regards to the reforms undertaken by the Odisha authorities in energy sector and the rising points earlier than the regulator to handle, a few of the regulators from exterior the state have been taken abruptly by Patro’s deep understanding of topics like engineering and commerce.

A person of all seasons, Patro endeared himself to everybody together with his bitter political rivals. He had style for meals and liked to gorge on sweets regardless of being diabetic. He is survived by his spouse Rajshree, two sons and a daughter. P5