Sis Ram Ola to be cremated with full state honours in Rajasthan today

New Delhi – The mortal remains of Sis Ram Ola will be consigned to flames with full state honours at his native village, Ardawata in Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan this afternoon.

The 86-year-old Congress leader died at a Gurgaon hospital on Sunday morning after a prolonged illness.

The National Flag flew at half-mast in Delhi and in the state capitals and Union Territories and it will be flown at half-mast in Jhunjhunu today.

President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari and Prime Minister ,Manmohan Singh have condoled the death of Sis Ram Ola. The Union Cabinet also condoled his death at its meeting here yesterday.

A five-time Member of Parliament, Ola represented the Jhunjhunu constituency of Rajasthan.

Born on July 30, 1927, Ola had served eight terms as a Member of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from 1957 to 1990 and then from 1993 to 1996.

Between 1980 and 1990, he had served as a Cabinet Minister in the Rajasthan Government, handling various portfolios such as Panchayati Raj, Rural Development, Forests and Environment, Irrigation, Transport, Cooperatives, and Excise.

He was elected to the 11th Lok Sabha in 1996 and served as Union Minister of State (independent charge) for Chemicals and Fertilisers and later for Water Resources.

He was re-elected to the 12th Lok Sabha in 1998, the 13th in 1999 and the 14th in 2004, when he was made Cabinet Minister for Labour and Employment and later for Mines.

He was re-elected to the 15th Lok Sabha in 2009 and in June this year was inducted into the Union Cabinet as Minister for Labour and Employment.

Ola was the recipient of the Padma Shri award in 1968 for social work.