Cuttack: Freedom fighter and former Orissa Chief Minister Nilamani Routray passed away in Cuttack today (Oct 4, 2004) following protracted illness.

84-year-old Routray was admitted to the S C B Medical college hospital in Cuttack towards the end of August last following complications and was kept in the intensive care unit since then.

The octogenarian leader was suffering from 'pleural effusion' and a team of doctors was treating him.

He was put on the life support system for the last several days to maintain the vital parameters of the body. But his condition sharply deteriorated yesterday and the end came at 7: 25 hrs (IST) this morning.

Routray was Chief Minister of the State between 1977 and 1980 and is a former Union Minister. He is survived by his only son Bijoyshree Routray who is the Minister for Health and Family Welfare in the Naveen Patnaik-led Government.

After winning the 1989 elections to the Lok Sabha from the Puri constituency on a Janata Dal ticket, Routray became the Minister for Health and Family Welfare in the V P Singh cabinet. He was later given the portfolio of Environment and Forest.

Routray remained away from active politics thereafter but kept track of different happenings.

At times, he reacted to various issues and had strongly opposed the move of the NDA (National Democratic Alliance) Government to privatise the profit-making NALCO.