Digapahandi: The mortal remains of former Odisha Assembly Speaker and veteran BJD leader, Surjya Narayan Patro, were consigned to flames with full State honours at his native place in Digapahandi of Ganjam district on Sunday afternoon.
Thousands of people from different parts of Ganjam district gathered to pay their last tribute to the veteran leader.
The last rites were performed on his own land on the Kapamandi side of the Digapahandi-Podamari road. The entire place reverberated with the slogans of ‘Surjya Patro Amar Rahe’, and scores of people showered flowers on his mortal remains.
After the guard of honour and gun salute, his cremation rituals began. The party flag of BJD was draped over him and his son Biplab Kumar lit the funeral pyre.
It was 4:30 pm by the time his mortal remains reached Digapahandi from Berhampur. His supporters paid their last respects at various places on the way. Earlier in the day, the leader’s mortal remains were kept at his Nayapalli residence in Bhubaneswar for the last ‘darshan’. At 9.30 am. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik reached Patro’s residence to pay his last tribute to the leader. Thereafter, the body was taken to the Odisha Legislative Assembly and then to the BJD party office where the leaders and his followers paid tributes to their leader.
Ganjam District Collector Dibyajyoti Parida, Berhmapur SP Sharvana Vivek M. reached and assessed the surrounding condition of the cremation site. Patro’s body was kept in the party office for some time where the people and his followers paid their last respects. From there, his mortal remains were taken to the cremation ground.
Berhmapur MP Chandra Shekhar Sahu, MLA Bikram Panda, Sanakhemundi MLA Ramesh Chandra Jena, Polasara MLA Srikanth Sahu, Sorada MLA Purnachandra Swain, Khalikote MLA Suryamani Baidya, Dharmasala MLA Pranab Balabantaray, Berhmapur Mayor Sanghamitra Dalei, Odisha Cashew Corporation Chairman Subash Maharana and many workers of BJD were present.
