Former Odisha Minister Sk Matlub Ali Passes Away

Bhubaneswar: Senior Congress leader and former minister Sk Matlub Ali passed away at a private hospital here on Thursday. He was 78.

Informing about the death to the media, the son of the Congress leader, Masud Ali said that his father was admitted to the hospital on September 14 after he complained of acute chest pain.

Born on December 16, 1942, Ali was elected to the Odisha Assembly from Mahanga constituency in Kendrapada district four times.

Apart from politics, he had worked with voluntary groups like ‘OXFAM’ and ‘SAVE THE CHILDREN FUND’ for the development of Harijans and tribals and took leading part in social work at the time of flood, cyclone and drought in Kendrapada and Cuttack districts. He had also worked in Koraput and Kalahandi districts during an acute drought in 1967.

Besides his political career, Ali had edited ‘Urmi’ magazine for the West Hostel of Ravenshaw College Cuttack in 1963-64 and published the short story collections ‘Mousumi’ in 1965, ‘Ganakabi Smaranika’ in 1966, ‘Jagamohan Lala Smaranika’ in 1967  and ‘Pyarimohan Lala Smaranika’ in 1975.

Several Congress leaders have deeply condoled the death of Ali.