Architect of modern Bhopal and ex-bureaucrat M N Buch passes away

Former bureaucrat M N Buch, who was widely regarded as the architect of modern Bhopal,  passed away here on Saturday  evening following a brain stroke. He was 80.

Buch was admitted to a local hospital on June 4 after developing heart complications and had undergone angioplasty.

His last rites will be performed today.

He received Padma Bhushan in 2011 for his services to the nation.

Mahesh N. Buch was born on October 5, 1934, in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. He had his schooling in Lahore and later at the Rajkumar College in Rajkot.He graduated in Economics from the St. Stephen's College, Delhi University in 1954 and moved to Pembroke College, Cambridge University for his post graduate studies which he completed in 1956.

His academic efforts continued for over a decade when he took his MPhil from the Indian Institute of Public Administration, Punjab University and Post graduate diploma from the University College, London.

He joined government service in 1957, and, in 1964, he passed the civil services examination of the Indian Administrative Service from the Gujarat cadre.

During 1967-68, he served as the Parvin Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School of the Princeton University. In 2002, he was conferred the title Doctor of Science (DSc) from the Rajiv Gandhi Technical University.

He has held several import portfolios, including Education Secretary in Gujarat, Chairman of the Kandla Port Trust, Executive Director of the Gujarat State Fertilizer Company and the Managing Director of the Gujarat Small Industries Corporation.

Dr. Buch took voluntary retirement from the government service after serving as Gujarat's Chief Secretary in 1984, and founded the NGO, the National Centre for Human Settlements and Environment, Bhopal.

He is survived by Nirmala and a son Vineet.