Noted industrialist and founder of the Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys ltd (IMFA) Bansidhar Panda passed away at his residence here on Tuesday. He was 87.
Dr Panda is survived by two sons, lok Sabha member Baijayant Panda and present IMFA MD Subhrakant Panda, and two daughters Paramita Mahapatra and Nita Ganapati. His wife Ila Panda, a former Rajya Sabha member, predeceased him about ten years ago.
After Biju Patnaik, Dr Panda was the second prominent Odia industrialist to reckon with. Impressed with Panda’s entrepreneurial qualities, Biju Pataik had helped him establish and expand his industrial units.
Born on November 26, 1932, Panda, a renowned research scientist, returned from the United States and chose remote Therubali in Rayagada (in erstwhile undivided Koraput) district to embark upon his industrial dream; and the IMFA plant was set up there in 1961.
Dr Panda had received degrees from Banaras Hindu University, Harvard University and Michigan Technological University.
All prominent political leaders deeply mourned Dr Panda’s demise. They included Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and Jual Oram, State Congress president Niranjan Patnaik and BJP State president Basant Panda.