K K Nair, 82, the eight-term MLA and the man behind the formation of the district, passed away at his residence at Vettipram here at 2.15 am on Thursday. Kulapurackal Karunakaran Nair represented the constituency till 2006, earlier as an LDF independent and later as a UDF nominee. However, he lost in the 2006 Assembly election as an Independent and made a vain attempt in the last Lok Sabha election as a BSP candidate.
K K Nair, who made a hard bargain with K Karunakaran for the districthood for Pathanamthitta in lieu of his support for the UDF ministry headed by him, was known as the ‘Father of the district’ among the people here. Nair fought a lonely battle for the overall development of the district quarters here.
Among the contributions of K K Nair are the new collectorate building, District Cancer Centre at Kozhenchery, Ring Road and the Chuttippara Nursing College and had made other developments comprising the decentralisation in the setting up of district-level offices at other towns like Kozhenchery and Tiruvalla.
A bachelor, K K Nair’s unfulfilled dream was Sree Ayyappa Medical College, the joint project of the Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala governments. The body of K K Nair will be cremated on his residential premises at 2 pm on February 9, family sources said on Thursday.
Hartal to be observed
An all-party meeting held here on Thursday decided to observe hartal on Saturday to pay last respects to the departed people’s leader.
The hartal, to be held between 10 am and 6 pm, exempted the ongoing Ayroor-Cherukolpuzha religious meet and the smooth movement of vehicles.
On February 8, the body will be kept on the municipal town hall premises between 2 pm and 4.30 pm for the public to pay their last respects and the procession carrying the body to return to his residence after passing through Stadium Junction, St Peter’s Junction, General Hospital Junction and Press Club Junction .
DCC president P Mohanraj, CPM district secretary K Anadagopan and municipal chairman Sureshkumar, among others ,participated in the all-party meeting.