According to a news report in the Odisha Diary, former minister and senior Biju Janata Dal leader Anand Acharya recently passed away. He was 77.
Anand was elected to the Assembly thrice from Bargarh constituency in 1998, 2000 and 2004. He was a minister in the Naveen Patnaik Cabinet from 2000 to 2004.
He was the president of Sambalpur District Central Cooperative Bank from 1994 to 1996, president of Sambalpuri Bastralaya Handloom Cooperative Societies from 1979 to 1981 and president of Odisha Weavers Cooperative Spinning Mills from 1994 to 1996.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and several other leading political leaders have condoled his death.
