Former Union Minister Debendra Pradhan Dies at 84; Last Rites Performed With Full State Honors

Former Union Minister Debendra Pradhan Dies at 84; Last Rites Performed With Full State Honors

The last rites of former Union Minister Dr. Debendra Pradhan were performed with full state honors at Swargadwar in Puri on Tuesday. Amidst the chanting of sacred mantras, his elder son, Soumendra Pradhan, lit the funeral pyre, bidding a solemn farewell.

The cremation ceremony witnessed an outpouring of grief, as family members, dignitaries, and hundreds of mourners gathered to pay their last respects. Among those present were his younger son, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, several cabinet ministers, yoga guru Baba Ramdev, MPs, MLAs, and BJP workers.

CM Majhi acknowledged Dr. Pradhan’s pivotal role in shaping the BJP’s presence in Odisha, crediting him with laying the party’s foundation in the state. His relentless efforts at the grassroots level transformed the party into a formidable force.

Pradhan, known to be one of the pioneers of BJP in Odisha in the 80s, breathed his last at the official residence of his son in New Delhi, family sources said.

Born on July 16, 1941 at Talcher, then part of the undivided Dhenkanal district. Pradhan started his career as a medical officer after completing an MBBS degree in 1966 from the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack. He resigned from government service in 1973 and started social service as a doctor.

Inspired by the ideologies of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Pradhan joined the party in 1980 and emerged as a leader of its Talcher mandal. Pradhan was elected to the 12th Lok Sabha for the first time in 1998 from the erstwhile Deogarh parliamentary constituency and retained the seat in 1999. In his first stint as an MP, he was inducted into the council of ministers in Atal Bihari Vajpayee government and was made minister of state (MoS) in the surface transport ministry. In the second term as MP, he served in the ministry of agriculture as minister of state.

Pradhan was also appointed national vice- president of the BJP in 2001.

As a Union Minister, Dr. Pradhan made significant contributions to Odisha’s development, particularly in enhancing national highway connectivity. His lifelong dedication to the party and the state's progress remains an enduring legacy.