Bhubaneswar: Veteran Biju Janta Dal (BJD) leader Damodar Rout passed away at the age of 83 today morning. According to sources, he took his last breath at 5.23 am on Friday morning.
As per sources, the senior leader was rushed to the hospital on March 18 after he suffered cardiac arrest. He was first admitted to the Capital Hospital. However, he was later to shifted a private hospital after his condition deteriorated.
Yesterday, the leader’s son said that there was a delay of 15 to 20 minutes in shifting his father to the private hospital. Due to which his brain suffered extensive damage over lack of oxygen supply to the brain. His son further said that Rout’s heart started functioning after CPR was given.
It is worth mentioning here that Damodar Rout was one of the founding members of BJD. He was earlier closely associated with legendary leader and former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik. A seven-time MLA, he has also served as a minister earlier.
He had been a Minister in the Naveen Patnaik Cabinet in all the four terms from 2000. Since 1979 Rout had been in charge of more than 15 different departments during his long political innings after he became MLA for the first time in 1977.
Ms Kalinga