Punjab Minister dead
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Aug 29 — Mr Sarup Singh, Punjab Housing and Urban Development Minister, died here today following a massive heart attack. He was 76 and is survived by four sons and a daughter.

Sarup Singh felt exhausted and complained of a chest pain while participating in a meeting held at the residence of the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, this morning to shortlist the names for political nominations in the market committees. From the Chief Minister’s residence he was rushed to the PGI where he died five minutes later.

His body will be cremated tomorrow at Jalandhar. Born on April 15, 1922, at Malkhanwala village in Sialkot district (now in Pakistan), Mr Sarup Singh joined the Congress party on January 18, 1938. He was arrested in 1942 while participating in an anti-Britain protest march. After remaining a Municipal Commissioner of Jalandhar Corporation, he was elected to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha for the first time in 1969 on a Congress ticket. He later joined the Congress for Democracy (CFD) in February, 1977, and was again elected to the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in 1977.

Sarup Singh joined the Shiromani Akali Dal a few years ago and was elected to the Vidhan Sabha for the third time in 1997 from Adampur Vidhan Sabha constituency, defeating Congress candidate Mr Kanwaljit Singh Lali. He was a well travelled politician and Secretary of the Indo-GDR Friendship Society. He had also attended the World Peace Conference held in Hungary in 1971.

The Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, expressed grief over the demise of Mr Sarup Singh. The Punjab Governor, Lieut-Gen B.K.N. Chhibber (retd), has also mourned the death of Mr Sarup Singh. They said that Punjab and the country had lost a seasoned politician and a distinguished social worker.

Mr Sewa Singh Sekhwan, Mr Harmel Singh, Mr Surjit Singh Kohli, Mr Ranjit Singh Brahmpura, Mr Balramji Dass Tandon, Mr Manjit Singh Calcutta, Mr Mohan Lal, Mr Inderjit Singh Zira, Mr Manoranjan Kalia, Mr Ragbir Singh, Mr Sikander Singh Malooka, all Ministers, have condoled the death of Mr Sarup Singh. While the party had lost a sincere leader, they had lost a gentleman colleague, they added.

Mr Daya Singh Sodhi, president of the BJP (Punjab unit), has also expressed grief over the death of Mr Sarup Singh.