Raghunath Patnaik an Indian politician and a veteran leader of the Indian
National Congress.
Raghunath Patnaik born in the year 1928 at Jeypore in Koraput district of Odisha coming from a middle class family Raghunath Patnaik is also Known as a Gentleman Politician in Odisha politics, he has been associated in active politics since a very early age and has been working as an active worker and worked with many senior leaders like Ex PM Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, PV Narsimha Rao, Biju Patnaik, JB Patnaik and many leader of the congress party.
Patnaik In his political career that spanned across nearly six decades has won several elections. Started his career as a Chairman of Jeypore municipality and then MLA from Jeypore assembly. He has represented the Jeypore assembly constituency six times in the Odisha legislative assembly and besides Being the Leader of Opposition in the assembly he has also worked as a Cabinet Minister for Finance, Law, Panchaytiraj departments of Government of Odisha several times. He was also Chairman of the prestigious Law Revision Committee.
At the age of 21 he was first elected as the councilor of Jeypore municipality and at the age of 25 he was the youngest chairman of the same municipality. During his chairmanship in jeypore municipality the electric street lights were introduced in Jeypore replacing the ancient old manual oil lamp posts.
Some of his achievements for jeypore assembly as a Mla & Minister he established
Women’s College, Jeypore Law College and the much needed Upper Kolab dam which is the life line of Undivided Koraput district. He was closely associated with Shri. Biju Patnaik in Utkal Congress and coordinated him in establishment of MIG factory in Sunabeda. he headed the assembly committee for NALCO and presented his views subsequently leading to establishment of mines and refinery complex. He is accredited for delivering the best budget presentation, especially the budget of the 1980 of Odisha Assembly
Patnaik was awarded the Certificate of Excellence and ‘Vijay Ratna’ title by
the India International Friendship Society in December 1997 at Delhi for out-standing
services, Patnaik was also awarded Bharati Samman “Desh Ratna” title by the Bharati
Foundation Trust of Bhubaneswar in the year 2002.
Raghunath Patnaik died in the year 2016 at the age of 89 and still Patnaik is remembered across Odisha for his gentleness, simplicity, and a visionary leader still an inspiration for many newcomers in politics.
