Former Odisha minister passes away

Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha minister Haraprasad Mahapatra breathed his last at his residence here today. He was 97.

He was suffering from prolonged illness, family sources said.

He was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly twice from Soro constituency as a CPI candidate in 1967 and as a Janata Party candidate in 1977.

He had formed labourer organisation in 1964 and acted as Secretary-General of the Orissa Motor Transport Workers’ Union, Balasore.