Mumbai: Former Chief Election Commissioner Neela Satyanarayan passed away on Thursday. Neela Satyanarayan was the first woman officer to become the Chief Election Commissioner of Maharashtra. Neela Satyanarayana aged 72 succumbed to death due to the novel coronavirus.
The 1972 batch officer was diagnosed with COVID-19 infection. She was undergoing treatment at the Seven Hills Hospital in Mumbai but her fight with infection failed. She breathed her last on Thursday.
Neela Satyanarayanan was a retired IAS officer of 1972 batch from Maharashtra cadre who was selected as the first woman State Election Commissioner (SEC) of Maharashtra.
She also held multiple prominent positions in the fields of home, forest, revenue, social, information and publicity, rural development, medical and more of the government. Apart from this, Neela has made prominent attainments in literature and music.
Condoling her death, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said the state will always remember her as "an experienced and sensitive person who excelled in the field of arts and literature, inspired youth towards civil services" and making the SEC closer to the masses.
Expressing shock, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that her contributions to governance and literature will always be an inspiration for all.
Grieving over Neela Satyanarayana's demise, state Congress President and Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat said that she was "a tough administrator and also a sensitive author" and her untimely death was saddening.
Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar expressed grief and said "She was the first woman SEC.. We have lost a humane and empathic ex-officer".
Over her 42 years services, Neela Satyanarayana handled key responsibilities in textile, finance, revenue, culture, information & public relations among others and post-retirement, the then Congress-NCP government made her the first woman to head the coveted Constitutional post of SEC, till July 2014.
After demitting the office of SEC, she remained busy with social-cultural-academic activities, training women and youth through programmes like 'Kranti-Jyoti' and 'Aarohi', etc.
Watch Neela Satyanarayan's interview with DD
(With inputs from IANS)