By IANS,
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday mourned the death of Assam Governor Shiv Charan Mathur, who died in a hospital here Thursday.
Mathur, 83, passed away following a heart attack. He was twice chief minister of Rajasthan.
In a statement, Patil said Mathur was always concerned with the welfare of people in rural areas and was in touch with the grassroots of society.
She directed Nagaland Governor Katteekal Sankaranarayanan to take additional duties as Assam governor.
“Consequent upon the demise of Shiv Charan Mathur, governor of Assam, the president has appointed Katteekal Sankaranarayanan, governor of Nagaland, to discharge the functions of the governor of Assam in addition to his own duties until regular arrangements are made,” said the statement.
In a condolence message to his wife Sushila Mathur, the president said he was “closely associated with developmental activities at various levels in Rajasthan during his long public career”.
“He was always concerned about the welfare of the people in rural areas. In his passing away, the nation has lost a personality who was always in touch with the grassroots of society,” she said.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said he was “deeply grieved” to hear the demise.
Noting that he was a “very senior leader of the country”, Singh said his career in politics began early on with his participation in the Quit India movement and he established himself as a prominent leader of the Congress party in Rajasthan.
“He was a proponent of the Nehruvian model of development and worked with dedication to promote peace and development in Assam. In his passing away, the country has lost an experienced and able politician with a distinguished record of public service,” the prime minister said.
Vice-President Hamid Ansari also mourned his death and said Mathur was “a dynamic administrator and a respected public personality”.
“He had served the country and the people with distinction during his many years in public life. He always worked for the upliftment of poor and the downtrodden through many policy initiatives,” he added.
“His contribution to varied spheres of nation building has been well recognised. He earned the respect and admiration of the people for his dedication, sense of public service, innate simplicity and honesty. His services to the country shall always be remembered,” the vice-president said in a statement.