Pratap Keshari Deo

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 blue print. This plan was disrupted by governmental changeds in the early post-indepdence 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 he continue 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.

He had a special interest in archeology[9] and established the archeology society of Kalahandi.