Veteran Congress leader and former state minister of Kerala Kadavoor Sivadasan passed away in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday morning. The 87-year-old Congress leader was hospitalised following age-related ailments.
Kadavoor Sivadasan had held many important ministerial positions under various governments in the state. He was the member of former Chief Ministers AK Antony and K Karunakaran-led governments in Kerala. He has held portfolios of several ministries such as the excise, labour, power and forest.
Sivadasan was the Minister for Labour from 1981 to 1982 and the Minister for Labour and Excise from 1982 to 1987 under the K Karunakaran-led government. Later, during the AK Antony-led government, Sivadasan served as the Minister for Forest and Rural Development (1995 to 1996) and as the Power Minister from 2001 to 2004. He also held the portfolio of Health and Family Welfare for a short period in 2004.
Sivadasan was first elected as the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) in 1980. He became elected to Kerala Legislative Assembly in 1982 as well. Later, in 1991, he got elected as an MLA for the third term, but this time he contested with the ticket of the Indian National Congress. He remained the member of the Congress ever since.
“Kadavoor Sivadasan was one of the best administrators the state has ever had,” Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala wrote on his Facebook page on Friday. “He was a leader who ignored his ailments while engaging in public work. He even recently inaugurated the election committee office of NK Premachandran, the UDF candidate in Kollam,” said Ramesh Chennithala.
Chennithala also added that Sivadasan will be remembered in history as the leader who formed the workers welfare fund in all sectors in the state.
Being an active trade unionist, he had served as the secretary of the Kerala Provisional United Trade Union Congress in 1977. He had also participated in the International Labour Conference held in Geneva representing India in 1985.
Born as the son of M Kesavan and Lekshmi in Kadavoor village of Kothamangalam taluk in Ernakulam district, Sivadasan was also an advocate by profession.
According to reports, mortal remains of the leader will be kept at Kollam District Congress Committee’s office from 10 am for the public to pay homage. The remains will be taken to his house and the funerary ceremony will be held on Friday evening at 4 pm near his house at Mulangadakom in Kollam district.