Former Minister Chaitanya Prasad Majhi Passes Away

Bhubaneswar: Former minister and well-known tribal leader of Odisha, Dr Chaitanya Prasad Majhi, breathed his last at Capital Hospital here in the early hours of Monday. He was 90.

Family sources said Majhi had a stroke on Sunday night at his residence at Surya Nagar in Bhubaneswar and was admitted to the ICU of Capital Hospital, where he passed away at 7.10 am.

The body of the departed soul would be taken to his residence at Surya Nagar for a public darshan after which it will be taken to his native village Changua in Mayurbhanj district for cremation.

Born on November 19, 1929, Majhi was a member of the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) from 1979 to 1985. He was the member of Rajya Sabha from Odisha as Congress candidate from 1972 to 1978 and worked as a deputy minister for Petroleum and Chemicals in Union Cabinet of during the tenure of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He was the Education minister in the Biju Patnaik ministry and SC and ST Development, Minorities and Backward Classes Welfare minister in the Naveen Patnaik ministry.

A well-known tribal leader, Majhi had published books on tribal language and culture. He was also a member of All India Tribal Literary Forum, New Delhi, and the Academic Council of North Orissa University from 1998-2000.

Several leaders from all political parties, including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal, have expressed profound grief over the demise of Majhi.