By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 23 May: Deenanath Saluja, an ex-chairman of Dehradun Municipality (Dehradun is now a Municipal Corporation), passed away this morning at 8:15 a.m. He was 80 years old. A condolence meeting in his memory was held, today, led by Dehradun Mayor Sunil Uniyal ‘Gama’ at the Dehradun Nagar Nigam office.
His last journey began at around 4 p.m. from his residence on Rajpur Road and his mortal remains were later consigned to flames this evening at the Lakhibagh crematorium. Saluja was the owner of the top national newspaper and periodicals distribution agency, National News Agency, in Dehradun. He was not keeping well for a long time.
The death of Deenanath Saluja has been condoled by many prominent Dehradun citizens cutting across the political spectrum and all sections of society. He was a prominent face of the socio-cultural and non-political forums of the Doon Valley, while Dehradun was still part of the undivided Uttar Pradesh and for a decade after the formation of Uttarakhand. Not only this, he had been directly and later indirectly involved in the early phase of the Uttarakhand statehood movement. He was also part of the Sangharsh Samiti formed at the very beginning to conduct the movement in Dehradun.
Saluja was the Chairman of the Dehradun Municipality from 15 February 1989 to 7 February 1994. He was the last Municipal President of Doon, who was elected by the vote of the members. Till 1989, the presidents of the municipalities were elected by the councilors, whereas, from 1997, the election of the president of the municipality started directly by the vote of the general public. The Lala Jugmandar Das Auditorium (Town Hall) located in the Municipal Corporation complex was first modernised during his tenure as Municipal Chairman. He was the patron, president of many social organisations. His shop in Paltan Bazaar was always full of visitors in its heydays, who came there regularly not only to purchase newspapers or magazines but also to hold discussions with him on the issues related to the city. His contribution to the social, literary and cultural world of Doon was unprecedented. He had been seriously ill for about two-and-a-half years. There is a wave of mourning among the residents of Doon on his death.
