Manohar Parrikar, four-time Goa Chief Minister and former defence Minister died at his private residence on Sunday (17th March) evening after a prolonged battle with pancreatic cancer. Late Shri Parrikar, 63, was the first BJP leader to be Goa Chief Minister. He headed the state from 2000-05 and 2012-14, before joining the Narendra Modi government as Defence Minister.
He has become India's 18th and Goa's second Chief Minister to die in office. Before Mr Parrikar, 17 Chief Ministers including Tamil Nadu's J Jayalalitha, Jammu and Kashmir's Sheikh Abdullah and Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, and Andhra Pradesh's YS Rajasekhara Reddy died in harness.
Goa has announced seven-day mourning after the chief minister's death. All schools and educational institutions in the state will be shut today and all examinations have been postponed. It is also declared that the National Flag will fly at half-mast across the country. A state funeral will also be accorded for him.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Rajnath Singh will be in Goa to pay their last respects. Programme plan of Mr Parrikar's final journey today:
As per the Goa CMO, Shri Parrikar's body will be kept at the Panjim BJP head office from 9.30 am to 10.30 am after which his body will be taken to Kala Academy in Panaji for public to pay their final respects to the chief minister. The body will be kept for public viewing until 4 pm after which the funeral procession to Miramar area in the capital will be held.
The last rites will be performed at around 5 pm at SAG grounds in Campal, approximately 4 km from Panaji.
PM Narendra Modi tweeted, "Shri Manohar Parrikar was the builder of modern Goa. Thanks to his affable personality and accessible nature, he remained the preferred leader of the state for years. His pro-people policies ensured Goa scales remarkable heights of progress."
