**Bhubaneswar**: Praising highly Pyarimohan Mohapatra’s administrative acumen, Union Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu said the former mentor of Naveen Patnaik was one of the best bureaucrats the country has ever produced.
Prabhu, who was present at Mohapatra’s residence in Saheed Nagar here to pay his tributes to the departed soul, told Pyarimohan was one of his good friends.
“Pyarimohan Mohapatra was one of the finest bureaucrats in the country and a good friend of mine,” Prabhu told reporters here after paying floral tributes to the departed parliamentarian.
Besides Prabhu, politicians across party lines thronged his residence to pay last respects to the former Rajya Sabha MP, whose body reached his home this afternoon after being flown from Mumbai to Bhubaneswar airport.
Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also expressed grief over the demise of Mohapatra.
Pradhan said his death has created a void in Odisha politics which cannot be filled up.
Mohapatra was a fearless leader and was an able administrator, he said.
Similarly, Kendrapara MP Baijayant Panda, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patsani, BJP leader Bijoy Mahapatra and several others including journalists and social activists paid their last respects to the departed leader.
Notably, Mohapatra passed away at the Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai at about 9.40 PM last (Sunday) evening. He was 77.
The bureaucrat-turned-politician was put on ventilator since Friday morning last week after his health condition deteriorated.
