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West Bengal Power Minister Mrinal Banerjee died in a private hospital at 12.55 pm on 03-02-2010. The 72-year-old minister was suffering from colon cancer and was admitted to AMRI, Dhakuria on 28-01-2010 when his condition became serious. He is survived by his wife.The government declared its offices closed from 2pm as a mark of respect. Around 4pm, the body was taken to Writers’ Buildings, where chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and his cabinet colleagues paid their tributes. From there, the cortege went to the Assembly. At the state CPM headquarters, politburo members Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury were among those who paid their last respects to Banerjee.

Banerjee had been under constant medical supervision by a team of doctors from oncologists to nephrologists and critical care specialists during the last one week. He had also been put under continuous renal replacement therapy.

In his condolence message, Governor MK Narayanan said he was deeply grieved to learn about the sad demise of Banerjee. “Banerjee’s contribution to the progress and development of the state will always be remembered with gratitude. In this hour of supreme bereavement, may God give the family strength to bear the loss with fortitude”, the message said.

Born in 1938, Banerjee was an electrical engineer by profession. He was also the general secretary of the Steel Workers’ Federation of India and was one of the leaders of the Steel India’s national level community. He was also a state secretariat member as well as a member of the Burdwan zilla community.

In 1996, he was chosen as a Cabinet minister and was in the Industrial Reconstruction department; in 1999, he first got the portfolio of Power Minister and in 2001, he was in-charge of both the Power as well as the Non-Conventional Energy department. In 2006, he was once again in-charge of the Labour and Power portfolios and later gave up his Labour portfolio and remained the state Power Minister till the end.

The minister’s hearse was brought to the party headquarters at Alimuddin Street, from where it travelled to the state Assembly and then to Writers’ Buildings, where the party leaders paid their last respects to Banerjee. The hearse will now travel to Durgapur, his hometown, where he will be cremated tomorrow.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Finance Minister Asim Dasgupta, Home Secretary Ardhendu Sen and others paid their last tributes to the minister.

Source - PTI