Bhubaneswar (Odisha): The first chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW) and senior Congress leader Jayanti Patnaik died at a private hospital on Wednesday night, official sources said on Thursday. She was 90. She left behind a son Prithvi Ballav Patnaik and two daughters. Her husband JB Patnaik who was the chief minister of Odisha and governor of Assam died in 2015.
She won Lok Sabha elections thrice from Cuttack and became a member of the Rajya Sabha once. Jayanti Patnaik translated KM Munshi’s Krishnavatara into Odia. President Droupadi Murmu mourned the death of the first chairperson of NCW. In a tweet, she said, “Sad to learn about the demise of Jayanti Patnaik, wife of former Odisha CM JB Patnaik. She was also an ex-MP and eminent social worker who endeared herself to the people of the state through her service and dedication. My condolences to her family, friends and well-wishers.”
Odisha Governor Ganeshi Lal, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, state Congress president Sarat Pattanayak, and members of various political outfits and social workers paid rich tributes to her.
