Renowned Odisha Industrialist Bansidhar Panda No More

Bhubaneswar: Eminent Industrialist of Odisha, Bansidhar Panda passed away at his residence in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday. He was 87.

Panda is survived by his two sons Baijayant Panda, Subhrakant Panda and two daughters Paramita and Nita Ganapati.

Born in 1931, Panda was one of the pioneers of industrial revolution in Odisha.

A research scientist, he had received degrees from Banaras Hindu University, Harvard University and Michigan Technological University.

After his return from the United States, he founded the Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd (IMFA), India’s largest fully integrated producer of ferro alloys at Therubali in the erstwhile undivided Koraput district (now Rayagada district) in 1961.

Panda was the chairman of NIT Board of Governors in Rourkela, member of the management committee of IIT-Kharagpur and IIM-Kolkata. Besides, he was also a member of Board of governors of the Air India and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

Several eminent personalities have expressed profound grief over the sad demise of the eminent industrialist.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has deeply mourned the demise of Panda and conveyed sympathy to the bereaved family.

Among others, Union Tribal Affairs minister Jual Oram, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP leader BIjay Mohapatra, PCC president Niranjan Patnaik, BJP state president Basant Panda, leader of the BJP legislature party KV Singhdeo and former chief minister Hemananda Biswal also expressed grief over his death.