Bhubaneswar: Noted social worker Shantilata Rath, wife of late bureaucrat and poet Ramakanta Rath, passed away in Bhubaneswar on Friday following prolonged illness. She was 84.
Shantilata Rath, who was suffering from age-related ailments, breathed her last in her house here, family sources said.
In a life dedicated to the underprivileged, Rath served as a founding member and vice president of Drushtidaan. She also served in different capacities in Khelaghara, helping restore broken lives and bringing hope and joy to countless children.
In 2024, Shantilata Rath was decorated with the second Gita Hota Memorial Award in recognition of her exemplary public service and contribution to literature.
She was married to renowned poet and civil servant Ramakanta Rath, who passed away in March, 2025. She is survived by a son and three daughters.
Her demise was deeply mourned by people from different spheres of life. Odisha has lost a beacon light of compassion, said one of her admirers.
Shantilata Rath was born at Birapurusottampur village in Puri district on March 17, 1942.