Bhubaneswar: Senior journalist Sarat Chandra Dash died at a private hospital Friday, family sources said.
He was 83 and is survived by two sons and two daughters.
Dash, the former Odisha bureau chief of the Press Trust of India (PTI), had been suffering from prostate-related ailments. His wife, Priyambada, died over a year ago.
He served the organisation for 42 years before retiring as the agency’s Odisha bureau chief in 2003.
Dash began his career with PTI and served in its Mumbai (then Bombay) and New Delhi offices before being posted in Cuttack.
In 1993, he took charge as the agency’s Odisha bureau chief in Bhubaneswar, a position he held for a decade until his retirement.
Leaders, journalists, public figures and people from various walks of life expressed profound grief over his demise, remembering him as an accomplished journalist, a compassionate colleague and a gentleman.
In a post on X, BJD president Naveen Patnaik said, “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of senior journalist Sarat Chandra Dash. In his long career in journalism, he earned numerous accolades. He was a well-known and respected figure in Odisha’s media world. While praying for the eternal peace of his immortal soul, I convey my condolences to the bereaved family members.”