President pays tribute to first Maha CM Yashwantrao Chavan

President Pranab Mukherjee today paid glowing tributes to first Chief Minister of Maharashtra Yashwantrao Chavan, describing him as great consensus builder and recalled his contribution to the country.
Speaking at the concluding ceremony of Chavan's birth centenary celebrations, Mukherjee said he was the only leader who presided over all four major ministries-- Home, Finance, Defence and External Affairs.
Mukherjee after completing his speech, took the mike again at the function to pay homage to martyrs Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru who were hanged to death in Lahore Jail on this day in 1931.
Remembering Chavan's role in creating a state for Marathi speaking people, Mukherjee said the situation required considerable tact and political acumen to convince national leadership to recognise the strength and depth of popular sentiments.

He said Chavan had an arduous task to pacify the people, win the trust of industrialists and business community and also pursuade the national leadership to recognise the need for a separate state.
During the function, the President awarded E Shridharan -- the architect of 760-km-long Konkan Railways and Delhi Metro-- with Yashwantrao Chavan National Award 2012 which included a citation and cash prize of Rs five Lakh.

Accepting the award, Shridharan announced that it would be donated to charity.
The Konkan Railway, cutting across western ghats, has over 90 bridges and it took seven years to complete the project.

The President also released a special cover on the occasion and recieved the first copy of audio book version of autobiography of Yashwantrao Chavan--Krishnakath.
He also received the first copy of the English version of 'Flow of Life--Yashwantrao Chavan' which was released by Governor K Sankaranarayanan.
The President said he worked with Chavan as junior colleague. But when he became the Finance Minister in 1982, he could not find anyone more appropriate than Chavan to head the Eigth Finance Commission.
Chavan was also the first recognised Leader of Opposition in the Indian Parliament as before 1977 no single party could muster 10 per cent of votes.