THRISSUR: Milma (Kerala Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation) chairman P A Balan, 74, popularly known as Balan Master, passed away here on Saturday. The Avinissery native was undergoing treatment for cerebral hemorrhage at a private hospital for the past one month. A founding leader of Milma, Balan master had been active in Kerala’s co-operative sector for over four decades. He has served on the Milma director board and its regional unions for the past 30 years, and was elected as Milma chairman on January 22, 2019.
He was the vice-president of the Kerala Karshaka Congress, in addition to serving as the chairman of the Ernakulam Regional Union for two terms. A teacher by profession, he was also the state vice-president of the All Kerala Ezhuthachan Samajam. Before the formation of Milma, he was active in the sector as the director of Thrissur District Milk Supply Union. He is survived by wife Vasanthi Devi, son Ranjith Balan and daughter Reshmi Shaji. Shaji Balakrishnan and Manju Ranjith are his son-in-law and daughter-in-law respectively. The cremation was held at his residence at Avinissery on Saturday.