Cuttack: Senior BJP leader and former minister Samir Dey passed away here on Monday evening while undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Suffering from pneumonia and multi-organ failure, the 67-year-old leader was undergoing treatment for the past one month. He is survived by wife Dr Dipika Dutta Ray and a daughter. Family sources said the last rites of the departed soul will be held at Khan Nagar crematorium.
A popular leader of the State, Dey, a native of neighbouring Jagatsinghpur district, represented the Cuttack City Assembly segment for three consecutive terms in 1995, 2000 and 2004 elections. He served as cabinet minister in the BJD-BJP alliance government holding several portfolios, including Higher Education ministry under Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from May 2000 to August 2008.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and several other ministers, including the two deputy chief ministers expressed their heartfelt condolences saying in Dey’s demise, Odisha has lost a charismatic and accomplished leader.
Chief Minister Majhi, in his post in ‘X’ announced that his last rites would be performed with full State honour. Dey would be remembered by the people of the State for bringing remarkable changes in the Higher Education department and particularly, for introducing dress code for college-going students.
During his tenure as higher education minister Cuttack city saw the elevation of Ravenshaw autonomous College into a University and establishment of National Law University, Odisha.
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