Odisha Minister Naba Das Cremated With Full State Honours

Jharsuguda: Mortal remains of Odisha Health Minister Naba Das, who succumbed hours after being shot at by a cop the previous evening, were consigned to flames at Kherual in Jharsuguda on Monday with full state honours.

His son, Vishal Das lighted the funeral pyre. Prior to the cremation, he was accorded a guard of honour.

Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari, Agriculture Minister Ranendra Pratap Swain, Transport Minister Tukuni Sahu, Food Supplies Minister Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Higher Education Minister Rohit Pujari, Textiles and Handicrafts Minister Rita Sahoo, MLA Dibya Shankar Mishra, former Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Singh and many other leaders cutting across the party lines were present during the funeral.

5T Secretary VK Pandian and former Chief Secretary AP Padhee also attended.

Following his death on Sunday evening at a private hospital in Bhubaneswar, his body was taken in a procession to the Odisha Assembly where many party leaders paid their last respects to the departed soul. Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik paid tributes to the three-time MLA at this official residence in Bhubaneswar this morning.

The body was then flown to Jharsuguda in the noon. Thousands of his supporters and well-wishers gathered at the last journey of the departed leader during the procession to Manmohan school field and finally to Kherual where he was cremated.

The Odisha government has declared a three-day state mourning, starting January 29, as a mark of respect to the deceased leader.