Digapahandi: The mortal remains of veteran Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and former Odisha Assembly Speaker Surjya Narayan Patro were consigned to flames with full state honour at his native place in Digapahandi of Ganjam district on Sunday.
A large number of people including political leaders across party lines, and eminent persons from different spheres visited the cremation site to bid a tearful adieu to Patro, who passed away at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar on Saturday at the age of 75.
The mortal remains were cremated as per the Hindu rituals as the late leader was accorded full state honour and gun salute. His son Biplab Patra lit the pyre.
As his body was taken from Bhubaneswar to Digapahandi earlier in the day, people gathered at several places including Berhampur to offer their last tribute to the departed leader.
Patro’s mortal remains were earlier kept at his Nayapalli residence in Bhubaneswar for people to have last ‘darshan’. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and a host of other dignitaries paid their last tribute to the late leader.
The body was finally carried in a procession to his constituency Digapahandi, where his last rites were performed.
A seven-time MLA, Patro won his last election from Digapahandi Assembly constituency in 2019 and served as speaker of the state assembly till June 2022 when he resigned from the post following his illness. As a Minister, he had handled many important departments, including energy, tourism, revenue and disaster management, food supplies, co-operation and information and public relations
