West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today paid tribute to Biju Patnaik, former chief minister of Odisha, on his birth anniversary. “Tribute to Biju Patnaik, former chief minister of Odisha, on his birth anniversary,” Ms Banerjee posted on her social networking page. Born on this day in 1916 in Cuttack, Bijayananda Patnaik commonly known as Biju Patnaik, was a two-time Chief Minister of Odisha and remained in office only for seven years in total. He was a member of both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha. Patnaik was elected to the Lok Sabha for the first time from Kendrapara and became Union minister for steel and mines in both the Morarji Desai and the Charan Singh governments until 1979. He was one of the first among the opposition leaders to be arrested during the Emergency declared in 1975. He was released in 1977.Patnaik was prominent among the leaders who took part in the independence struggle against British colonialism. His daring exploits as a pilot in the years before and soon after India’s independence in 1947 earned him countless accolades. (UNI)
Mamata pays tribute to former CM of Odisha Biju Patnaik on his birth anniversary
