Ex-chief secretary passes away

Former chief secretary and the first information commissioner of Uttarakhand Raghunandan Singh Tolia died today after a prolonged battle with cancer.

He was 71.

Tolia breathed his last at a private hospital here at 4 AM, family members said.

Condoling his death, Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul described him as a scholarly person and an efficient administrative officer.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat said he was a soft spoken person and efficient administrator who was sensitive to the issues faced by the Himalayan region.