Bhubaneswar: On Local Self Government Day, 2020, Enforcement Inspector of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Prafulla Kumar Behera lost his life fighting bravely with Corona Virus at Aditya Ashwini COVID Hospital, here in the city this morning. He was 55.
Shri Behera was cremated at Satyanagar crematorium as a COVID Warrior with State Honour at 4.30 pm. BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary accompanied by senior officials of BMC, Bhubaneswar Development Authrity (BDA), Bhubaneswar Smart City Limited (BSCL) and Commissionerate Police paid last respect to the departed soul at the crematorium. Senior BJD Leader & Odisha Mo Paribar Convenor Shri Arup Patnaik, Joint Secretary BJD & In-charge, Odisha Mo Paribar Shri Rudra Narayan Samantaray also paid their homage to the departed soul.
All officials and employees of BMC, BDA and BSCL have condoled the demise of Shri Behera and extended emotional support to the bereaved family.
Shri Behera, who served BMC on deputation from BDA since 2015 August, was tested COVID positive on August 22. He is survived by his wife Soudamini Behera (48), son Abhijit Behera (23), daughter Sagarika Behera (18) and his brother Rabindra Kumar Behera.
Son of late Kusha Behera and late Sundari Behera, Prafulla was born in September, 1965 at Banapur under Mahanga police limits of undivided Cuttack district.
Prafulla joined the Indian Army on 25 September 1984 in the Mahar Regiment as a “sepoy’’ (soldier) and retired as a” subedar’’ in junior commissioned officer rank after serving the armed forces for 28 years.
After retirement, he joined the Bhubaneswar Development Authority (BDA) on March 2, 2015 as an Enforcement Inspector. After some months of service at BDA he was deployed at BMC on August 7, 2015 on deputation.
Sources at BMC informed that Prafulla was authorized to execute the important assignment of COVID-19 related enforcement activities in the South-East Zone. The civic body hailed the hero who had showed exemplary devotion and dedication while discharging his duties.
Zonal Deputy Commissioner, South-East Zone Shri Ansuman Rath in a letter written to the BMC Commissioner today, informed on the demise of Prafulla while in active line-of-duty during COVID-19 pandemic situation. The Zonal Deputy Commissioner also requested the Commissioner that Prafulla Behera may duly declared as a COVID Warrior and be conferred Martyr status as he lost his life while fighting the COVID-19 war, serving the humanity.
Speaking on Prafulla, the Zonal Deputy Commissioner said “while the brave soldier had joined the Indian Army and served our motherland with courage, he died at a different battleground on the soil of his own state as a frontline COVID warrior.’’
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