BNHS President B G Deshmukh passes away
A great supporter of conservation is lost
Mumbai: 7th August: BNHS President and former Cabinet Secretary Shri B G Deshmukh passed away today in a Pune hospital at 7.45 pm, following three heart attacks. He was 82 years old. On Saturday he fell down and suffered from a clot in the brain, following which he was in ICU on life support system. He was also suffering from high blood pressure.
He was cremated late in the evening on Sunday. A condolence meeting in BNHS would be announced shortly. Late Shri B G Deshmukh was associated with BNHS for more than 15 years. He was the guiding light for BNHS in multiple ways and was a great supporter of conservation.
Late Shri Deshmukh was a senior IAS officer from the 1951 Maharashtra Cadre. During his illustrious career, he had worked in Nashik district, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and later in Delhi as the Cabinet Secretary and then the Principal Secretary. He was associated with several other NGOs such as Praja Foundation, of which he was the Chairman. He was a great supporter of good governance. He had authored several books including “A Cabinet Secretary Looks Back”.
Conservation and BNHS have lost one of its greatest supporters with the death of Shri Deshmukh.
— Atul Sathe,
Public Relations Officer,
Bombay Natural History Society,
Mumbai
91-22-22821811
www.bnhs.org
We are a part of the Earth and it is a part of us – chief Seattle (native American)
It is indeed a watershed in the lives of all public spirited people of Pune that Mr B G Deshmukh is no more with us. The sense of a void and at the same time a recollection of his colossal contribution to projects, policies and programmes is inevitable. In 1989 when the Pune Municipal Corporation was contemplating Revitalizing Environs of Shaniwarwada Pune, Mr Deshmukh was appointed Chairman of the Shaniwarwada Advisory Committee. His regular attendance of the meetings, follow up on the smallest of matters, ability to sense problems far in advance of their arrival and suggesting measures to tackle them was phenomenal. His steadfast vision to see the project through thick and thin, leave no stone unturned to realize the change that was conceived in 1990 by our firm was remarkable. Mr. Deshmukh personally followed up for donations from Venkateshwara Group, Tatasons, PBAP, etc. His goodwill with the top officers from Delhi and in Mumbai helped the project move through difficult times. Once inaugurated the project was complete in Jan 2, 2000. Now he was keen that a festival of Shaniwarwada be held for 3 years to let people know about the new facility made at the venue. He made Tatasons contribute regularly for the festival which was a grand success for 3 years consecutively. He later insisted that a virtual Shaniwarwada be built and the PMC should assist the project. It took us two years to realize the walkthrough which is now sold as a CD from the Warsaa shop. Once ready he took copies of the same and sent them to his friends at the British High Commission! He then offered a donation of Rs 10 lacs from his private savings for a gallery of the Maratha Greats at Shaniwarwada. Shrikant Pradhan and Madhukar Jingare finished 12 paintings for the same which he appreciated and was keen that they are displayed, copies made and sold for people to know the greatness of the place. He convinced the Magarpatta developers to donate an amount of about Rs 14 lakhs for new landscaping of the openair theatre which was recently realized. His relentless efforts to see that the Shaniwarwada and the history of the Marathas is showcased and presented in a better manner finally found expression in the Branding Pune Heritage Project which he has backed squarely till he breathed his last. Mr. B G Deshmukh will always remain an inspiration of selfless, persistent, focussed, honest and diligent efforts to better the public life in India. May his tribe grow.
Kiran Kalamdani