Balasaheb Bharade passes away

Pune, Nov 22 (UNI) Veteran freedom fighter, a Gandhian and former Speaker of the State Legislative Assembly Balasaheb Shivram Bharade died here today of old age. He was 94 and is survived by his wife, five sons and a daughter.

The veteran leader, who was on life support system for the past few days at the Poona Hospital here, was declared dead by doctors at 1745 hrs this evening. The immediate cause of death was stated as ''septicaemia'', hospital sources said.

Balasaheb was born at Shevgaon in Ahmednagar district in 1912. He was the Member of the State Legislative Assembly from 1952 to 1972 from Shevgaon.

He had held various positions including the State Assembly Speaker's from 1962 to 1972. Prior to that he was the State Cooperation Minister from 1957 to 1962. He was chairman of the Mahatma Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, chairman of the Maharashtra State Khadi Board and chairman of the Akhil Bharatiya Khadi Commission.

He was closely associated with the Mahatma Gandhi and Bhoodan Movement leader Vinoba Bhave. During the freedom struggle, he was imprisoned at the time of the 1942 Quit India Movement.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh had visited the Poona Hospital yesterday to inquire after the health of the veteran leader and had spent time with his family members.

UNI DWN MAZ PDM GC1924