Former cabinet minister and a revered icon of Uttarakhand Kedar Singh Phonia is no more !

The former cabinet minister in Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand governments looking after Tourism, Culture, Youth Affairs and Sports and several term MLA during undivided Uttar Pradesh as well as in Uttarakhand, 92 years old veteran BJP leader Kedar Singh Phonia has breathed his last today after prolonged illness.

An expert in Tourism, Kedar Singh Phonia had joined active politics after retiring as a class 1 officer in Government service working in tourism sector.

A soft spoken, down to earth politician Kedar Singh Phonia was minister for Tourism, cultural affairs, sports and youth affairs from 24 th June 1991 to 6 th December, 1992 under the then chief minister Kalyan Singh in BJP government. From 1991 to 2002 he was the lawmaker from Badri Kedar constituency, Garhwal.

Post Graduate in Tourism holding a Diploma, Kedar Singh Phonia thereafter represented Badrinath Assembly constituency after the formation of Uttarakhand state from 2007 to 2012.

He was a popular politician from Chamoli, Garhwal highly revered in his party n government.

The Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami while expressing his deepest condolences tweeted : Saddened to hear the extremely anguishing news about the demise of former cabinet minister Kedar Singh Phoniaji. May the Almighty give place to the departed soul at his feet and enough strength to the bereaved family to bear this irreparable loss tweeted CM.

The lawmaker from Tehri Garhwal constituency Kishore Upadhyay has in his tweet termed Kedar Singh Phonia as a highly knowledgeable cabinet minister who was a capable bureaucrat, a lawmaker, social activist having specialisation in Tourism. Uttarakhand has indeed lost a true HITAISHI he added. His outstanding services to the state will be followed by the present n future generations of Uttarakhand tweeted Kishore Upadhyay. He prayed for his soul to rest in peace and requested Almighty to give the bereaved family enough strength to bear this irreparable loss. Late Kedar Singh Phonia had to his credit several self authored books on Tourism. The former Uttarakhand CM Harish Rawat also expressed his condolences on the sad demise of Mr. Phonia expressing his anguish praying to Almighty to render peace to the departed soul and strength to the family to bear this loss. RIP.