'Declare Nagpur Pact signatory Patil's place as Maha memorial'

Social worker Abhay Bang has appealed government to declare as the residence of late R K Patil, one of the signatories to historic Nagpur Pact which led to creation of Maharashtra state, as the 'memorial of Maharashtra'.

The pact, concluded in September 1953, was signed by Yashwantrao Chavan, then minister in Morarji Desai Ministry of the Bombay state and Ramrao Krishnarao alias R K Patil, a former ICS officer and member of the first Planning Commission.

Maharashtra state came into existence after the pact was signed at the residence of Patil, located in Civil Lines here, which is "official birth place of Maharashtra state".
 

"Government should develop a memorial of Maharashtra at this residence," said Bang, director of SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health).

He was speaking at release of book titled "R K Patil-Prernastrot" compiled and edited by Purnima Patil.

Former High Court judge and Gandhian justice Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari presided over the function.