Parliament adjourned after condoling death of Sis Ram Ola

, Dec 16: The parliament was adjourned for the day today after paying tributes to Union Minister Sis Ram Ola, who died yesterday after prolonged illness. As soon as the Lok Sabha met, Speaker Meira Kumar made obituary references to Ola and former member Somnath Rath. Kumar said Ola, 86, was a member from Jhunjhunu and held various portfolios in the Union Council of Ministers.

An agriculturist, he was conferred the Padma Shri in 1968. Recalling Rath's association with Parliament, Kumar said he was the member of the 8th Lok Sabha and was member of the panel of Chairpersons. A freedom fighter, Rath was Speaker of Odisha Assembly between 1980 and 1984. He died on October 7.

In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Hamid Ansari paid tributes to Ola. Members stood in silence before the two Houses were adjourned for the day.

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Born on 30 July, 1927, Ola represented the Jhunjhunu constituency of Rajasthan and was a member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly between 1957 and 1990, and served as a cabinet minister in Rajasthan between 1980 and 1990.

Ola was the Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilizers (Independent Charge) in 1996-97 and Union Minister of State for Water Resources (Independent Charge) in 1997-98.

He was Union Cabinet Minister of Labour and Employment between May and November in 2004 and a Union Cabinet Minister of Mines in the Manmohan Singh government.

Ola began girls' education in a remote area in rural Rajasthan in 1952.

PTI