By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal was on Friday paid his last respect to noted freedom fighter and former MP Bhabani Charan Patnaik, who passed away at the age of 98 on Thursday while undergoing treatment.
Governor Prof Lal hailed the late freedom fighter as a brightest son of the State and said, his works will be remembered for a long-time.
Patnaik was suffering from prolonged age-related illness and cardiac issues. He was shifted to the ICU of the city hospital on March 25. Expressing concern, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had directed the health department to form a medical team to monitor the veteran freedom fighter’s health condition.
Born on May 11, 1922, at Andhia village in Puri district, Bhabani Charan Pattanayak was elected to the Upper House from Odisha for three terms in 1961, 1966 and 1978. In 2018, he was conferred the Padma Shri. He was also one of the founder members of Nimapara Autonomous College. A true Gandhian, Patnaik had joined the Quit India Movement in 1942. At that time, he was studying in Class XI. He had also spent three-and-a-half years in jail.
