Former Odisha Minister Succumbs To Post-COVID Complications

Bhubaneswar: Former minister and senior BJD leader Bijayshree Routray passed away due to post COVID-19 complications here on Wednesday. He was 67.

According to family sources, he breathed his last around 5.30 pm while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar. He had tested positive for the virus on May 4.

However, there was no substantial improvement in his health. His condition became critical on Wednesday morning but he could not be saved despite the best efforts of the doctors, hospital sources said.

He died due to septicemia and multi-organ failure.

A six-time MLA, Bijayshree served as the Health, Forest and Environment Minister in Naveen Patnaik’s cabinet. He represented Basudevpur assembly constituency in Bhadrak district since 1990.

Naveen affectionately addressed him as Babuli babu.

Son of former Chief Minister Nilamani Routray, Bijayshree was a brilliant student. A post-graduate in Geography from Utkal University, he had won a gold medal.

After completing his post-graduation, he joined as a lecturer in Geography at Ravenshaw College. However, he left the job and joined politics in 1980.

He won the Assembly elections from Basudevpur on Janata Dal ticket in 1990 and 1995. Later, he joined the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on December 18, 1997, and continued with his winning streak for four consecutive Assembly elections in 2000, 2004, 2009 and 2014.

BJD leader Sanjay Das Burma informed that the mortal remains of Routray will be brought to the State Assembly premises at 7.30 am on Thursday, where the legislators will pay their last respect to the departed soul. From there, the body will be taken to his home constituency for cremation, he added.