Bhubaneswar: Veteran leader of Odisha and former Union Minister Debendra Pradhan, father of Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, passed away on Monday following a prolonged illness. He was 84.
The BJP stalwart, who was suffering from age-related ailments for quite some time, breathed his last in the morning at his son Dharmendra’s residence in New Delhi, family sources said. He was undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
The mortal remains of the late leader are expected to reach Bhubaneswar in the afternoon. The last rites will be performed at Puri Swargadwar.
A doctor by profession, Debendra Pradhan had served as the Minister of State for Surface Transport and Agriculture in the erstwhile NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee from 1999 to 2001.
His demise left the political circles in the state in a state of mourning. A host of dignitaries, including Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and Leader of Opposition (LoP) Naveen Patnaik expressing grief over the passing of the veteran leader.
Born on July 16 in 1941 to Maheswar Pradhan and mother Chandrama Debi, Pradhan completed his MBBS degree in 1966 from the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. He joined the government service as the Assistant Medical Officer at Dera in Talcher in 1967. However, he took VRS and started private practice in 1973.
He made a foray into politics after joining the BJP in 1980. He was appointed as the party president Undivided Dhenkanal district in Odisha from 1983 – 1985 and 1985 -1988. He was appointed as BJP president of Odisha in 1988 and was re-elected in 1990. He held the post again from 1995 – 1997.
Debendra Pradhan was elected as Member of Parliament to 12th Loka Shabha from Deogarh Constituency, Odisha, in 1998. He was allotted MoS for Surface Transport in Vajpayee government after making debut in Lok Sabha. He retained the Lok Sabha seat in 1999 elections and served as the Minister (MoS) of Surface Transport and Agriculture from 1999 to 2001. He was appointed as the National Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party in 2001.
Pradhan’s demise marks the end of an era for Odisha and national politics. His contributions to governance and public service will always be remembered.
