Padma Shri Kamala Pujari Passes Away

Cuttack, July 20: Padma Shri awardee Kamala Pujari breathed her last, hospital officials informed Saturday.

She passed away due to cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment at the SCB Medical College and Hospital here. Kamala was admitted to SCB a couple of days ago and undergoing treatment for kidney-related issue.

She was initially admitted to Koraput's District Headquarter Hospital in Jeypore July 16 before being shifted to SCB July 17 for further treatment.

Kamala, a tribal lady of Patraput Village, 15 km from Jeypore, near Boipariguda in Koraput district, was known for promoting organic farming and preserving hundreds of indigenous varieties of paddy.

In 2002, a girls' hostel of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) in Bhubaneswar was named after Kamala in March 2017. She was honoured with the 'Equator of Initiative Award' in 2002 at Johannesburg. She was awarded the Padma Shri -- the fourth highest civilian honour -- in 2019.

The Odisha government had honored her as the 'Best Woman Farmer' in 2004. She had also been awarded by the national award -- 'Krusi Bisarada Samman' -- in New Delhi.

She holds the unique distinction of being the first tribal woman to be included in the list of members of the Odisha State Planning Board. She was made a member of the five-member team in March 2018 that makes a five-year plan for the state apart from providing short and long-term policy guidelines.