A renowned agriculturist and Padma Shri awardee, Kamala Pujari, has passed away at the age of 74.
Padma Shri recipient Kamala Pujari, renowned for her contributions to agriculture and preservation of indigenous crop varieties, has passed away at 74 after a cardiac arrest. Her legacy will be remembered in Odisha. The Chief Minister has expressed condolences for her.
Jayadev Lenka
CUTTACK: Kamala Pujari, a recipient of the Padma Shri award, passed away at 5:45 am on Saturday due to a cardiac arrest. She was 74 years old and had been undergoing treatment at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack since Thursday. Pujari was initially admitted to the district headquarters hospital at Jeypore in the Koraput district on Tuesday for fever and old-age ailments, but was later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital on Thursday as her condition worsened.
A native of Patraput village in the Jeypore block, Kamala Pujari received the prestigious Padma Shri award in 2019 for her significant agricultural contributions. She was renowned for preserving hundreds of indigenous varieties of paddy, earning her the Equator Initiative Award in 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Expressing condolences over Pujari's demise, Koraput Collector Keerthi Vasan V stated that Pujari's family members had been informed and necessary arrangements for the funeral would be made according to the family's wishes and state government directives.
"There is no specific protocol for the cremation of Padma Shri awardees. Arrangements will be made per the government's direction," said the collector.
Kamala Pujari's dedication to agriculture and efforts to preserve indigenous crop varieties have left a lasting legacy.
