Maharashtra Council pays tributes to departed members

Lauding Pradhan, who died in July this year, Parab said the former served in Indian Administrative Service IAS from 1952 to 1986.Pradhan, who had served as the governor of Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh, also worked as Maharashtra chief secretary, Union home, commerce and defence secretary and private secretary of former deputy prime minister Yashwantrao Chavan, Parab noted.

Maharashtra ministers and lawmakers on Monday paid tributes to some Legislative Council members, including former Union Home Secretary Ram Pradhan, who died in the recent past. On the first day of the state Legislature's winter session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Anil Parab moved a condolence motion in the Upper House, expressing grief over the deaths of Pradhan, former state minister Vinayakrao Patil and ex-Council member Sandesh Kondvilkar.

''The House expresses its extreme grief over the demise of Pradhan, Patil and Kondvilkar,'' he said. Lauding Pradhan, who died in July this year, Parab said the former served in Indian Administrative Service (IAS) from 1952 to 1986.

Pradhan, who had served as the governor of Bihar and Arunachal Pradesh, also worked as Maharashtra chief secretary, Union home, commerce and defence secretary and private secretary of former deputy prime minister Yashwantrao Chavan, Parab noted. Pradhan played an important role in Assam and Punjab accords, and Mizoram peace accord. He also did an excellent job as head of the committee formed to review security after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack of 2008, the minister said.

''His image was that of a very studious and excellent administrator. Pradhan became MLC in 1990...he was a tall personality,'' Parab added. Leader of the Opposition in the Council Pravin Darekar also paid glowing tributes to Pradhan.

Paying homage to Vinayakrao Patil, who died in October this year, Darekar said, ''He had all the knowledge of farming...I had seen his Nilgiri (trees) farming. People were affectionate to him beyond party lines.'' Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal also spoke on the motion and lauded former MLC Sandesh Kondvilkar. ''Kondvilkar never carried himself as a leader, but as a worker,'' Bhujbal said.

Legislative Council's Deputy Chairperson Neelam Gorhe, Peasants and Workers' Party (PWP) leader Jayant Patil, Congress's Sharad Ranpise, Vijay alias Bhai Girkar of the BJP, among others, also paid tributes to the departed MLCs..