Former Odisha minister Surendra Nath Naik dies

Bhubaneswar: Former Odisha minister and senior BJD leader Surendra Nath Naik died here on Friday morning, his family said.

He was 87.

Naik was suffering from age-related ailments and died at his residence here, his family said.

He was elected to the Odisha Assembly seven times from the Kakatpur constituency on Utkal Congress, Janata Dal and BJD tickets between 1971 and 2009.

Naik had served as the minister of several departments, including excise, revenue, agriculture, school and mass education and panchayati raj under the leadership of Biju Patnaik and Naveen Patnaik.

Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, Deputy Chief Ministers K V Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Speaker Surama Padhi and several others paid floral tribute to the politician in the state assembly.

Majhi said Odisha has "lost a tall leader and the vacuum created by his demise will remain unfilled". He expressed condolences to the bereaved family of Naik.

In a post on X, Singh Deo said, “Heartfelt condolences on the passing of Shri Surendranath Naik, a true leader and dedicated seven-time MLA from Kakatpur. His contributions to our community will never be forgotten.” Former chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik condoled the death of Naik and said his dedication towards serving the Kakatpur people will always be remembered.

“As an able politician and public representative, his humanitarian work will be a source of inspiration for all. May his soul rest in peace and my condolences to the bereaved family members,” Patnaik said.

The mortal remains of Naik were taken to Sankha Bhawan, the BJD headquarters, where senior party leaders paid respect to him.