Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan mourns passing of Padma Shri Kamala Pujari

Bhubaneswar, July 20: Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed his profound sorrow on Saturday following the death of Kamala Pujari, a renowned organic farmer and Padma Shri awardee from Odisha.

In a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, Pradhan said, "I am deeply saddened by the news of Kamala Pujari's passing. She was a symbol of pride for Odisha and an exemplar in preserving diverse grain varieties. Her remarkable contributions to organic farming, coming from a tribal background, will be remembered fondly. My heartfelt condolences to her family. May she rest in peace. Om Shanti."

Kamala Pujari passed away this morning at the SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, where she had been receiving treatment. She was 74 years old.

Hailing from Patraput village in the Baipariguda block of Koraput district, Pujari was a staunch advocate of organic farming and had cultivated approximately 100 rice varieties. She was affiliated with the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation.

In recognition of her contributions, Pujari was honored with the Padma Shri in 2019 by then-President Ramnath Kovind. She was also a member of the state planning board in 2018 and received the best farmer award from the Odisha government in 2004. Additionally, she won the 'Equator Initiative Award' in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002.