Kamala Das (politician)

Kamala Das (16 August 1945 - 12 April 2024 ) was an Indian politician from Odisha. She was a former member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly representing the Bhograi Assembly constituency and served as minister for Education & Youth Services, Health & Family Welfare, Woman and Child Development in Biju Patnaik and Naveen Patnaik Ministry.

Political career
Kamala Das was first elected as an MLA in 1990 from Bhograi Constituency in Balasore district on Janata Dal ticket. She was re-elected in 1995, and then again in 2000 as a BJD candidate. She served as MoS for Education & Youth Services, and MoS for Health & Family Welfare in the Biju Patnaik government from 1991 to 1996. She was also the Woman and Child Development Minister in the Naveen Patnaik Ministry from 2000 to 9 July 2001. She was dropped as minister in 2001 and later she switched over to Congress party and returned to the BJD in 2014.

Death
Kamala Das was admitted to a private hospital in Bhubaneswar after she complained of chest pain, during the course of the treatment, she was diagnosed with a lung infection and she was shifted to a hospital in Cuttack and died while undergoing treatment on 12 April 2024.