Das was suffering from age-related ailments and was hospitalized for past several months.
Renowned for his short stories and novels, he was among the foremost bilingual writers from Odisha and was a master of dramatic expression both in English and Odia.
In 2000, Das was awarded with Saraswati Samman. He was awarded Padma Shri in 2001 and Padma Bhusan in 2020 for his contribution in the field of literature and education.
The Kendra Sahitya Akademi awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award Fellowship to Das.
Das was born February 27, 1934 in Shankari village in Balasore district. He spent most of his adult life residing at Sri Aurobindo Ashram in Puducherry.
Governor Ganeshi Lal condoles the sad demise of Das and conveyed his heartfelt sympathy to his family and his readers. “He would continue to inspire generations through his timeless literary works,” the Governor said.
It may be mentioned here that the Union Ministry of Health had formed a four-member team of doctors from Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) at Puducherry for the treatment of Das at the Aurobindo Ashram Nursing Home for last nearly three months due to old-age related ailments. Earlier, he had suffered a fracture in one of his hands.