Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Oct 16: M Jeevandhar Kumar (89) from Yedapadavu, who was a progressive farmer ever prepared to do new experiments, breathed his last in a hospital here on Thursday October 15. He has left behind wife, three sons, and three daughters.

Jeevandhar showed interest in making experiments in agriculture since a young age. He gets credit for being the first to have undertaken paddy cultivation on a large tract of land near Gurpur by using electrical pump set. He was also the first to take initiative to convert barren land into cultivable one.

Jeevandhar founded Vivekananda degree college and Yedapadavu aided higher primary school, and served as managing trustee of Yedapadavu Parshwanatha Jain Basadi and trustee of Mahveeer College. He also had functioned as the president of Yedapadavu Weavers Cooperative Society, president of service cooperative society, and also the local gram panchayat.

Kumar had set up Mangala Nursery at Hosmar and Kamadhenu Nursery at Yedapadavu. He is well-known for his zealous efforts towards achieving all-round development of Yedapadavu village. Rajyotsava award had been conferred on him in 2010 for his contribution to agriculture.

MP, Nalin Kumar Kateel, ministers, B Ramanath Rai and Abhay Chandra Jain, former ministers, Krishna J Palemar and Nagaraj Shetty, as well as scores of people have condoled his death.