Chhattisgarh Governor Balramji Dass Tandon died on Tuesday at a hospital in Raipur, an official said. He was 90.
Chhattisgarh Governor Balramji Dass Tandon died at a hospital in Raipur on Tuesday, an official said. He was 90.
Tandon was rushed to the state-run Dr B R Ambedkar Memorial Hospital here this morning after he complained of uneasiness, the governor's secretary, Surendra Kumar Jaiswal, told PTI.
He later died at the hospital, he said.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh condoled the death of Governor saying his demise is a loss for the state and the country.
“I pay homage to Governor Shri Balramji Das Tandon ji. His demise is irreparable damage to Chhattisgarh and the whole country. Mr Tandon was always dedicated to protecting democratic values, and he was also jailed during the Emergency. May his soul rest in peace,” Raman Singh tweeted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also paid tribue to Governor Tandon on his demise.
"Saddened by the demise of Shri Balramji Dass Tandon, the Governor of Chhattisgarh. We have lost a widely respected public figure whose service to society will always be remembered. My thoughts are with his family and well-wishers in this hour of grief," PM Modi said in a tweet.
"Shri Balramji Dass Tandon spent decades working for peace and progress in Punjab. Passionate about sectors like industry and labour welfare, his administrative experience added great value to the state. He will be remembered for his courage while opposing the Emergency," he added.
Raman Singh, who visited the hospital earlier on getting the news of Tandon's illness, announced a seven-day state mourning in view of the governor's demise.
In view of the governor's demise, Independence Day will be observed in a traditional manner tomorrow and there will be no award and cultural ceremonies, the CM said in an official release.
Tandon's body will be taken to Raj Bhawan, the governor's house, where it will be kept for people to pay their respects at 5 pm, Singh said.
The body will be taken later to Tandon's native place in Punjab, he said.
In his condolence message, the chief minister said that as governor, Tandon offered his valuable services to Chhattisgarh for around four years.
"He was like a father figure to me," Singh said.
Tandon, one of the founder members of the Jansangh which later became the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), became the governor of Chhattisgarh in July 2014.
During his political career spanning over five decades, he served on various posts.
He started his political career as Corporator of Amritsar Municipal Corporation in 1953 and went on to become deputy chief minister of Punjab. He held various portfolios in as a minister in the Punjab government.
He served as a minister for four times and was elected MLA seven times during his career. He was also jailed from 1975 to 1977 during Emergency.
Earlier, he had rejected the Centre's offer increasing a salary hike. According to a new salary structure proposed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in 208 Budget, Governors' pay was revised to Rs 350,000 a month from Rs 110,000.
However, Tandon decided not to accept a raise in his salary. In May, he wrote a letter to the Chhattisgarh's Accountant General (AG), expressing his desire to draw salary as per the old structure.
“The Governor has decided not to accept the revised salary and the arrears (to be paid with effect from January 1, 2016),” Chhattisgarh Raj Bhawan spokesperson said.
(With PTI inputs)
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