Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
Former State Minister Ashok Rajaram Patil Dongaonkar (82) passed away after a prolonged illness on Saturday at 11.57 am. His last rites will be conducted on Sunday (July 6) at 11 am in his native village, Dongaon (in Gangapur tehsil).
He is survived by his wife Kusum, brother and Zilla Majoor Federation President Ramesh Patil Dongaonkar, son and District Bank Vice-President Kiran Patil Dongaonkar, daughter and MLA Monika Rajiv Rajale, son Rahul Dongaonkar, daughter Vaishali Sawant, and grandchildren.
Journey from Sarpanch to Minister
Dongaonkar was born on November 11, 1943. He received his school and college education at Saraswati Bhuvan Education Society in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. In the 1977 Dongaon Grampanchayat elections, his panel secured victory, and he served as Sarpanch until 1980. He was later elected as a member from the Waluj Zilla Parishad circle.
While serving as a Zilla Parishad member, he met then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi at the airport in 1980, after which he received a Congress party ticket from the Gangapur-Khuldabad constituency and was elected as an MLA. From 1980 to 1985, he played a key role in the development of his constituency, pushing for projects such as the ST Depot, ITI, Tehsil office building, and major connecting roads. Between 1983 and 1986, he also served as Vice-President of MOPEC and worked as a Director of the Bhu-Vikas Bank.
‘Jhenda ani Danda’ made waves...
In 1995, he was elected as an independent candidate. At the time, the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance needed support from independent MLAs to form the government. Dongaonkar led the independent MLAs and played a crucial role in forming the alliance government. During this period, he was appointed as Minister of State for Public Works. His slogan "Jhenda ani Danda" gained wide popularity.
Establishment of Ghrushneshwar Sugar Factory...
He took significant initiatives in launching projects such as the Gangapur to Bhendala Road, the Nagpur-Mumbai Highway, and the Ghrushneshwar Cooperative Sugar Factory. To improve educational facilities for rural students in Gangapur and Khuldabad talukas, Dongaonkar founded the Mukteshwar Education Society in 1982. In 1983, he also established the first girls' school in Lasur Station. Today, the institution runs more than ten schools and junior colleges in both tehsils. In 1990, he also founded the Bhagirathi Education Institute.