The State Assembly on Monday expressed profound grief over the demise of Dr Ram Prasad Mishra, former Finance Minister, former leader of Opposition, one of the founders of VSS Medical College and Hospital, Burla and the first Chairman of Balangir NAC, who passed away at his residence in Bhubaneswar late on Saturday night.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra and BJPlP leader Basant Panda paid glowing tributes to Dr Mishra recounting his lasting contributions. The House observed a minute’s silence in honour of the departed leader.
Ramji Mishra, as he was popularly called, was 94 and is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. Dr Mishra was bed-ridden at his native town Balangir for a long time. He was recently shifted to his son’s residence in Bhubaneswar as he injured himself after slipping in the bathroom on July 1. He underwent surgery at a hospital in Bhubaneswar on July 6.
Born on September 23, 1920, Mishra was a doctor by profession. He joined politics after he came in close contact with late Balangirpatna Maharaja and former Chief Minister RN Singh Deo and became the first chairman of the Balangir NAC in 1957.
In the same year, he was elected MlA on an Odisha Ganatantra Parishad ticket from the loisingha constituency. In 1959, he became the Health Minister in Harekrushna Mahtab’s Cabinet.
In 1961, Mishra was reelected from loisingha and joined the Congress and became a Minister in the Sadashiv Tripathy Cabinet. He lost to Nandakishore Mishra in the 1967 and 1971 elections before being again elected as an MlA of the Swatantra Party from Kantabanji. He was elected from loisingha in 1977 by defeating his nephew Independent candidate Balgopal Mishra.
Dr Mishra was the Finance minister in Nilamani Routray’s Cabinet, formed in 1977. In 1980, he decided to retire from politics following his differences with late Biju Patnaik as the latter ignored him and preferred Routray as the Chief Minister.
