Former Maharashtra and Goa Governor Mohammed Fazal dead

Economist and former Governor of Maharashtra and Goa, Mohammed Fazal, died this morning at his residence here. He was 92. He is survived by three sons and a daughter.

According to Fazal's youngest son Qaisar, the nonagenarian had "no major illness except memory loss for the past few years and complaints of low blood pressure and congestion in the chest in the last couple of days". "He breathed his last at about 1:30 AM at our Abu Bakrpur residence in the city. He died in his sleep apparently due to suffocation caused by phlegm in the respiratory tract and inability to expectorate within time", Qaisar said adding that the last rites would be performed this evening.

Born on July 2, 1922, Mohammed Fazal was educated at the University of Allahabad, the London School of Economics and the University of London.

During his distinguished career, he held a number of key posts. He was the senior-most member of the Planning Commission during 1980-85. 

In 1999, he took up his first gubernatorial assignment and became the Governor of Goa. He took over as the Governor of Maharashtra in 2002 and held the office till 2004