President Awardee Sarpanch Passes Away
Neshwar Padhi, popularly known as “Una Adhike,” began his career as a teacher at Goda Danda School under Nayahat. He later became well-known in the region for his service to the people, initially working as the secretary of a cooperative society before entering politics. He earned the trust of the public and served as the former Sarpanch of Othaka Gram Panchayat under the Kakatpur constituency. He brought pride to Kakatpur by being honored as the Best Sarpanch by the President of India.
A dedicated public servant, he also served as the Vice-President of the Kakatpur Block Congress and as the chief priest of the local deity, Mahadev of Rayes. He maintained a deep and close relationship with the local people.
The news of Dhaneswar Padhi’s sudden demise spread rapidly, and locals rushed to his residence for a final glimpse. At the time of his death, he was 85 years old. Just nine days ago, his wife had also passed away. He had been suffering from kidney-related ailments for a long time and was under treatment—first in Bhubaneswar, and later in a private hospital in Delhi. Two days ago, he was brought back to his native village, Rayes, but his health showed no improvement, and ultimately, he succumbed to his illness.
At the time of his death, his eldest son Bichitra Nanda Padhi, middle son Tarun Kumar Padhi, youngest son Barenya Kumar Padhi, and many other prominent individuals were present, including Manoranjan Panda (President of Kakatpur Sevak Samiti), Chittaranjan Panda, Harihar Dixit, Congress General Secretary Bishwabhusan Das, Kakatpur Block President Sridhar Nayak, Samiti Member Samarendra Dixit, Kakatpur Panchayat Chairman Nalini Kanta Dixit, Ghanashyam Kandi, Karuna Kara Senapati, and Babuli Nayak.
Nearly 300 people who admired his work participated in the funeral procession, which passed through three nearby villages to allow the public a final farewell. The procession concluded at the village cremation ground, where his eldest son Bichitra Nanda Padhi lit the funeral pyre.
Leaders from various political parties were also present during the final rites, offering condolences and comforting the grief-stricken family in their time of sorrow.
