Cultural programme at Cuttack Bali Yatra cancelled in view of Samir Dey’s death

Cuttack: Cultural programme at Cuttack Bali Yatra was cancelled for today in view of the death of former Odisha Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Samir Dey this evening.

Cuttack Collector & District Magistrate Datatraya Bhausaheb Shinde announced that no cultural programme will be held today either at Baishnab Pani Mancha or Akshay Mohanty Mancha as a mark of mourning for the death of the veteran politician, who is a resident of Cuttack City.

It is to be noted here that apart from different shops and other facilities, cultural programme held every evening at both the manchas (stages) at the Bali Yatra Ground.

The 67-year-old veteran politician, who breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a private hospital this evening, was first elected to the Odisha Legislative Assembly in 1995 from Cuttack. He won the seat twice again in 2000 and 2004 and was the Urban Development Minister from 2000 to 2004 and Higher Education Minister from 2004 to 2009 in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition governments.