| Pratap Keshari Deo | |
| Birth Date: | 5 October 1919 |
| Birth Place: | Bhawanipatna,Odisha,British India |
| Death Place: | New Delhi, India |
| Office: | Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha |
| Constituency: | Kalahandi, Odisha |
| Term: | 1957–1980 |
| Predecessor: | Giridhari Bhoi |
| Successor: | Rasa Behari Behara |
| Source: | https://loksabha.nic.in/writereaddata/biodata_1_12/1156.htm |
Maharaja Pratap Keshari Deo (5 October 1919 – 8 October 2001) was an Indian politician. He was the last ruler of Kalahandi State from 1939 to 1947. Post-independence, he was elected from the Kalahandi constituency in Odisha to the Lower House of the Indian Parliament the Lok Sabha.[1] [2] [3] He was deputy Leader of the Opposition, Orissa Legislative Assembly, 1952—1956.[4]
During the time Deo ruled Kalahandi, a major irrigation project was initiated on the Indravati River to build Indravati Dam,[5] and along with engineer Bhubaneswar Behera and administrator Ram Chandra Patra he visualized and prepared the blueprint. This plan was disrupted by governmental changes in the early post-independence period. In 1948 Kalahandi lost its state status and was merged into Odisha[6]
Deo was a Member of Orissa Legislative Assembly and subsequently of the Lok Sabha. As a member of Swatantra Party Deo aligned with Rajendra Narayan Singh Deo who became the chief minister in 1967.
Deo initiated Kalahandi Science College in 1960, the predecessor of Kalahandi University.[7]
As a member of parliament, Deo continued to push for the Indravati Dam and rail connectivity from Kesinga to Ambaguda via Bhawanipatna and Junagarh. In 1962-1963 he had pointed out in the Parliament that Parkers had done a railway line survey from Kesinga to Nabarangpur to join Kothavalasa-Kirandul (KK) line, because Koraput-Kothavalasa and Koraput-Rayagada are e-special category railway routes having many tunnels and high-level bridges; the speed is limited (often less than 50 kmph) and number of wagon can’t exceed 30 during mineral transportations in these two routes.[8] Subsequently, Lanjigarh–Junagarh section under East Coast Railway Zone was completed in March 2014, which was sanctioned when local MP Bhakta Charan Das was minister of state for railway in 1990-91.
Deo had a special interest in archeology[9] and established the archeology society of Kalahandi.
Deo died in New Delhi on 8 October 2001, at the age of 82.[10]