Odisha’s First State Election Commissioner Debendra Kumar Mishra No More

Bhubaneswar: Retired IAS officer Debendra Kumar Mishra, who was the first State Election Commissioner (SEC) of Odisha, passed away on Saturday at the age of 85.

According to reports, the former bureaucrat was undergoing treatment at a city-based private hospital in Bhubaneswar due to other health-related ailments after recovering from COVID-19.  However, he breathed his last at 12.30 pm.

Debendra Kumar Mishra is survived by his wife Suhasini, and two sons- Asit Mishra and Brajendra Mishra. His death has been mourned in various quarters.

The body of the former bureaucrat will be kept at his Saheed Nagar residence early on Sunday morning for the people to pay their last respect to the departed soul.

His last rites will be performed at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, February 13, at Satya Nagar Cremation Ground in Bhubaneswar, family sources informed.

Mr. Mishra served as the first State Election Commission of Odisha from 1994 to 1999. He also held many important positions in the state government. He has been a special assistant to former Chief Minister Neelmani Rautaray, Bhawanipatna sub-collector, Sambalpur district supply officer, general manager of the Odisha Handloom Corporation, and director of the municipal administration. Also, he was actively involved in various social and cultural organizations in Bhubaneswar and Sonepur.