Srikant Panda, veteran social worker, activist and editor of Asantakali is no more

Kolkota(ONT Bureau) 7/3/17:Srikant Panda, veteran social worker, activist and editor of Asantakali is no more. He breathed his last due to cardiac arrest last night in Kolkata home. Panda who was one of the few trusted persons of Biju Patnaik was associated with Kalinga Tubes as the Commercial Manager until it changed hands and handed over to IMFA group .
Mr Panda gave a new look to Asantakali by not only developing its look , but also making it the first feature based Odia illustrated magazine Srikant Babu was actively involved with several socio-cultural organizations of Kolkata and West Bengal. For the first time he had introduced remuneration for the writers who were contributing writings to Asantakali.
He campaigned for odia text books and substantial salary for students and teachers of all odia medium schools in Paschima Bango..He was leading Lolita Utkaliya Mancha in Kolkata for many odia causes
He was an ardent admirer of Biju Patnaik and had preferred to resign from the high post in Kalinga Tubes the very day Dr Banshidhar Panda’s IMFA group took over the company as he was not willing to accept any body other than Biju Patnaik as his master.
After Kalinga Tubes was sold out Mr Panda tried to establish a steel tube mill in Berhampur named as Orissa Tubes and encouraged many educated Odia young men to start industries in the area. Though many entrepreneurs became successful Mr Panda’s venture was to be closed due to want of raw material and other problems.
In the meanwhile Mr Panda had lost his wife Leela and finally decided to go back to Kolkata and serve the Odias living in different parts of the metro . His pr9imery interest was education for the Odia children in their mother tongue and finally succeeded . He was very close to many senior politicians like Dr Damodar Rout, Srikant Jena, Bijoy Mohapatra, Sarat Kumar Kar, Surendra Nath Nayak, Prafulla Chandra Ghadei, Late Natabar Pradhan, Ashok Das and many others.
He has left behind his only son Prasant and daughter Budhi with grand children.. He was a native of Balasore town.
His death has come as a blow to the literary, cultural and social circles in the State and has been mourned by thousand friends and admirers.