Jeypore : Padma Shri Kamala Pujari was on Sunday admitted to the District Headquarter Hospital here in Odisha’s Koraput district . She was suffering from low blood-pressure , sources said.
The 71-year-old tribal woman is widely popular as the preserver of paddy seeds. She has learned the basic techniques from MS Swaminathan Research Foundation here and has contributed a lot in the field of organic farming.
Born in a poor family in Patraput village under Jeypore block in the district, she started preserving traditional paddy seeds from a very tender age. Along with local women, she formed a seed bank in her native village.
So far, she has able to preserve over 100 varieties of traditional paddy seeds through use of bio fertilizers.
She was awarded India’s fourth highest civilian award, the Padma Shri in 2019.
Ms Kalinga