Hyderabad:

Veteran Congress leader and former minister Sarojini Pulla Reddy passed away in the early hours of Sunday at her Bowenpally residence. She was 85.

She was the first woman Mayor of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in 1965. She was also minister for municipal administrat-ion, information and public relations and women and child welfare in various ministries between 1978 and 1982.

Hyderabad’s first woman Mayor Sarojini Pulla Reddy dead

Veteran Congress leader and former minister Sarojini Pulla Reddy passed away early on Sunday at her Bowenpally residence. She was 85.

She was the first woman Mayor of the Hyderabad Municipal Corporation in 1965. She was also minister for municipal administration, information and public relations and women and child welfare in various ministries between 1978-82.

A loyalist of Indira Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, Sarojini Pulla Reddy had served the Congress in various posts. She was also a member of the Congress Working Committee, the highest policy-making body of the party in 2001. She was vice-president of the APCC for several years.

She got elected as an MLA twice from Malakpet Assembly segment in 1967 and 1972.

She became an MLC later. She married chief medical officer Pulla Reddy, who was employed in the South Central Railway in 1945. He passed away in 1970.

Sarojini Reddy was suffering from pancreatic cancer for some time.

Several leaders, including Tamil Nadu Governor K. Rosaiah, D.K. Samarasimha Reddy, Dr K. Kesava Rao and others, condoled her death.

Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, Assembly Speaker Nadendla Manohar and many Congress leaders paid their respects at her Bowenpally residence in the Secunderabad Canton-ment area.

Her last rites were performed on Sunday evening at the old Bowenpally area.

source: http://www.DeccanChronicle.com / Home> News> Current Affairs / DC / February 04th, 2013