Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has expressed deep grief over the sad demise of former Union Telecommunication Minister and senior Congress leader from the state Pt Sukh Ram who breathed his last at AIIMS New Delhi last night. He was 95.
Sukh Ram suffered a brain stroke in Manali on May 4, following which he was admitted at the regional hospital in Mandi. From there he was airlifted to Delhi on Saturday for better treatment at AIIMS.
A Himachal Pradesh Congress leader, Sukh Ram’s grandson Aashray Sharma in a Facebook post on late Wednesday night wrote, “Adieu Grandfather, Now phone will not ring (Alvida Dadajee, Abhi Nahi Bajegee Phone Ki Ghanti).” However, the post did not mention when he breathed his last.
Chief Minister said that Pt. Sukh Ram was a great visionary leader who would always be remembered for bringing telecom revolution in the country. He said that with the death of Sukh Ram, the country in general and Himachal Pradesh in particular has lost an outstanding parliamentarian who was open to new ideas and initiatives.
Pt. Sukh Ram was elected to Legislative Assembly in 1962 and re-elected in 1967, 1972, 1974 (by- election) and 1977. He was re-elected in 1982 as Congress Candidate and in 1998 and 2003 as Himachal Vikas Congress Party Candidate. He remained in the State Council of Ministers during 1967-72, 1980-85 and from 24th March, 1988 to 7th May, 1998, during this period he held various portfolios viz. Power, PWD, Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, Irrigation etc.
