Veteran journalist, columnist and noted author Barendrakrushna Dhal passed away at his residence here on Tuesday. He was 77. Dhal had been keeping ill for the past few days.
Family sources informed that Dhal’s last rites would be performed at the Swargadwar in Puri on Wednesday.
Many journalists, politicians and eminent personalities from various walks of life reached his residence to pay their last respects to the departed soul.
Born in Cuttack district, Dhal carved out a special place for himself with his incisive writings. During his long journalistic career, he worked for a number of vernacular and national publications. He was editor of the Swarajya and worked as the Odisha correspondent for leading Bengali daily Aaj Kaal for a number of years. Towards the end, he had restricted himself to writing columns in leading Odia dailies.
He was a recipient of Sahitya Akademi award in 1993. He wrote many novels and novellas in Odia. He also led the lekhaka Sammukhya, a literary movement, in the remote areas of the State. He started the Bhubaneswar Book Fair in 1984.
Governor SC Jamir, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and many other Odisha Ministers and Union Ministers from the State, sociopolitical leader Suparno Satpathy and Utkal Sammilani Mancheswar Industrial branch president Dillip Dashsharma expressed their condolences over Dhal’s death.