Maharashtra Former Minister Shankarrao Kolhe of passed away in Nashik on Wednesday due to age related ailments. His family sources gave this information. Kolhe was 93 years old. He served as Minister of Agriculture, Cooperatives, Revenue and Transport between 1989 and 1993. He was the founder of a cooperative sugar factory and Sanjeevani Group.
Kolhe also worked in various major committees of the state government. He was honored by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Vasantdada Sugar Institute in 2017 for his contribution to the cooperative sector. Kolhe is survived by his wife and three sons.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar expressed grief over the demise of Kolhe. In a tweet, Pawar said Kolhe made a huge effort in the sugar sector by travelling around the world on the subject. His inner zeal and strong will for rural development are the traits to be embraced by newcomers in the social sector.Kolhe was born on 24th March 1929 at Yesgaon in Kopargaon taluka. During his journey from Yesgaon Sarpanch to Minister of State, he has successfully held various positions in the fields of politics, education, co-operation, industry and agriculture. In 1972, he was first elected to the Legislative Assembly as an independent. He was elected MLA from Kopargaon Assembly constituency six times. He was also the Vice President of Shri Sai Baba Shirdi Sansthan for 9 years.