Former Odisha chief minister JB Patnaik passes away at 89

New Delhi, April 21: Assam Governor and three-times Odisha chief minister-JB Pattnaik passed away at Tirupati today at the age of 89. Patnaik had gone to the temple town to attend a convocation ceremony of the Rashtriya Sanskrit University. After he complained of chest pain, he was admitted to the hospital late at night yesterday.

His last rites will be done in Puri.

Born on January 3, 1927, he was an ardent politician and held various important positions in the Cabinet. He was appointed the chief minister of Odisha from 1980 to 1989 and again from 1995 to 1999. After Naveen Pattnaik, he was considered the longest holding chief minister.

Patnaik was highly educated with a degree in Sanskrit from the Utkal University in 1947. He later secured an M.A. degree in Political Science from the Banaras Hindu University in 1949.

Just a year later, he was appointed the President of the Orissa state unit of the Congress youth wing. In 1980, he became the Union Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation and Labour.

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