Cuttack: Padma Shri Kamala Pujari passed away today morning here. She was under treatment at the SCB Medical College & Hospital in Cuttack.

The veteran breathed her last at 5.00 AM at the state-run hospital. She had been suffering from kidney-related ailments for a long time. She was admitted to the hospital recently for treatment.

Known for promoting organic farming, Kamala Pujari was born in a poor family in the tribal-dominated Koraput district of Odisha. Without having any basic education, she had managed to preserve 100 varieties of traditional paddy seeds through use of bio fertilisers.

She was conferred with Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian award, in the year 2019 for her contribution to agriculture.