From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Sep 7: Food and Civil Supplies Minister Umesh V Katti, who died of cardiac arrest late last night at Ramaiah Hospital, will be accorded State Funeral and his body will be flown to his native place Sankeshwar in Belagavi district, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister rushed to the hospital in the night along with his cabinet colleagues Dr CN Ashwath Narayan, Dr K Sudhakar, Govind M Karjol and CC Pail as also MLA Aravind Bellad and former Deputy Chief Minister Lakshman Savadi.

Bommai said the mortal remains of the minister will be flown by Air Ambulance to Belagavi and kept for public homage at the Hira Sugar factory premises in Sankeshwar. It will be later taken to his native place of Bagewadi for last rites at his residence and the funeral will be held in his private farm in the evening.

The Chief Minister said in Minister Umesh Katti’s death the State has lost an active, co-operator and a good leader.

Bommai said Umesh Katti was his close brother and had an association with their family for around four decades.

“Umesh Katti's father Vishwanath had been closed with his father, S R Bommai. Vishwanath Katti had died while he was attending the State Legislative Assembly. At that time, Umesh Katti who was just 25 years, entered politics and got elected as MLA from Hukkeri. He had been elected as MLA from Hukkeri for the eighth consecutive times and became one of the senior leaders in the Assembly,’’ the Chief Minister said.

He said Umesh Katti had special care for farmers and always worked for the welfare of people. He had worked as the Minister of State in the J H Patel Cabinet as Sugar, Prisons and Public Works Minister; Horticulture and Agriculture Minister in B S Yediyurappa Cabinet.

“Katti had a special love and care for North-Karnataka. He was managing both Forest and Food portfolios. He had left his impression in any portfolio that he got. As food Minister, he stood firm to distribute jawar in North Karnataka and millet in South Karnataka through PDS, and also strove hard to get remunerative price for the agricultural crops,’’ Bommai said.

The Chief Minister said Minister Katti had expertise in irrigation and played an important role in the implementation of Ghataprabha project. He had the ambition to develop Hidkal Dam on the lines of Almatti and Brindavan Gardens, and to develop the islands in backwaters of Hidkal Dam as tourist spots. He had congratulated him when this subject was cleared in the State Cabinet.

The Chief Minister said Katti was like an 'Ajatha Shathru' and would mingled with everyone. Politicians lack sense of humour but he had that quality and solve any complex problems with ease. It was very difficult to forget love and affection that was shared with him. Katti had a cordial relationship with J H Patel, Ramakrishna Hegde, R Bommai, H.D Deve Gowda and B S Yediyurappa.

He was a good co-operator and had worked as chairman of various co-operation institutions. The district of Belagavi has lost a senior co-operator. The voice of North Karnataka has stopped, he said and prayed that God to give strength to his family members to bear the loss.