Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Feb 8: Veteran Congress leader and former president of undivided Dakshina Kannda district zilla Parishat, B Sankappa Rai (85), breathed his last at a hospital at Mangaluru on Wednesday February 7. He belonged to Bellippady family and a resident of Kombettu here.

Rai, son of the late Perne Mayila Rai Bellippady and the late Laxmi Rai, was unmarried. He used to live with Prasad Kaushal Shetty, chairman of Puttur Urban Development Authority, who happens to be the grandson of Rai's sister, at Kombettu here. He had been admitted into a hospital at Mangaluru a few days back.

Sankappa Rai had been active in political field since the year 1970. By being chosen as the president of the then taluk development board when he was just 25 in 1973-74, Sankappa Rai earned the distinction of being the youngest president of the board. He was chosen for two terms as a member of the district Road Transport Authority, and had worked for running private buses to rural destinations.

After getting elected to the zilla Parishad for four years from Mani constituency in 1985, he wanted to fight the assembly election. As Congress party issued the ticket to someone else, Rai fought the assembly election as an independent, as a result of which the official candidate of the party had to taste defeat. In 1983, he fought the assembly election on behalf of Congress, but tasted defeat as another leader, K C Chacko, revolted against the party leadership. Thereafter, he tried his best to become a member of the legislative council, but could not.

On account of failing health, he had been away from active politics since the last 12 years.

Rai was the president of KSRTC Federation Union and the district Congress committee. He also had functioned as a member of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee. He had served as honorary president of Lord Mahalingeshwara Temple Renovation Committee, founder president of Sri Ramakrishna High School for girls in the town, and Karnataka high school, Mani. He was the president of the board high school development board here, and was instrumental in opening of government first grade college at Uppnangady and government high school at Kabaka.

Sankappa Rai happened to be a cousin of district in-charge minister, B Ramanath Rai. Several leaders of Congress party had grown under his guidance and advice.

Mortal remains of Rai were kept at his residence at Kombettu to enable people to pay their last respects. Thereafter, funeral was conducted at Neltottu, Anantady.

State ministers, B Ramanath Rai and U T Khader, MPs, Nalin Kumar Kateel and Veerappa Moily, Rajya Sabha member, Oscar Fernandes, MLAs, Shakuntala Shetty, J R Lobo, Mohiyuddin Bava, Abhayachandra Jain and Vasant Bangera, MLC, Ivan D'Souza, former MLA, Urimajalu Rama Bhat, president of Mahalingeshwara temple managing committee, N Sudhakar Shetty, and SCDCC Bank president, Dr M N Rajendra Kumar, have condoled the death of this great leader.