Bhubaneswar, Aug 30: Former Odisha minister Damburudhar Majhi passed away while undergoing treatment in the ICU of Nabarangpur District Headquarters Hospital. He was suffering from age-related ailments.

Majhi had a long political career spanning several decades. Between 1967 and 1990, he served in the Odisha state cabinet on four occasions, holding important portfolios including Transport, Finance and Culture. He was elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly from the erstwhile Kodigan Assembly constituency, now known as Dabugam.

Over the course of his political career, Majhi was associated with several political parties, including the Swatantra Party, Indian National Congress, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In 2009, he contested the Nabarangpur Lok Sabha constituency on a BJD ticket but was defeated. He left the BJD in October 2018 and subsequently joined the BJP.

Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed deep grief over the demise of the former minister.

In his condolence message, the Chief Minister said, “Deeply saddened to learn about the demise of senior politician and former minister Dambaru Majhi. Condolences to the bereaved family and pray to Lord Jagannath for the peace of the departed soul.”