Keshavrao Sonawane

Keshavrao Sonavane
केशवरावजी सोनवणे ( सोनवणे साहेब )

सहकार महर्षी केशवरावजी सोनवणे.[1]
Co-operative Minister of Maharashtra
In office
1962–1967
Personal details
Born Keshavrao Sitaram Sonavane
(1924-05-26)26 May 1924
Latur, Bombay State, British Raj
Died 9 November 2006(2006-11-09) (aged 82)[2]
Latur, Maharashtra, India
Nationality India Indian
Political party Indian National Congress
Spouse(s) Kadubai Sonavane
Children 3 Sons 4 Daughters
Occupation Lawyer and Politician
Religion Hindu

Lt. Shri. Keshavrao Sonawane (Marathi: केशवराव सोनवणे) was a Co-operative minister of Maharashtra state.[3] He served in the cabinet of Chief Minister Vasantrao Naik. He was elected as MLA for 4 times, twice from Latur constituency and twice from Ausa constituency.[4] Keshavrao Sonavane was one who helped Shivaraj Patil to get his first break to stand from Latur Constituency.[5]

Political career

Keshavrao Sonawane, a lawyer from small town called Latur got his LLB from Osmania University, Hyderabad. After he got his LLB, he started his practice in the Latur district court. He was a criminal defence lawyer in Latur.

He was selected as a Congress party candidate for the position of MLA by Yashwantrao Chavan. Yashwantrao Chavan favored Keshavrao because of his legislative experience and his farmer’s family roots. In 1957, Keshavrao ran in the election from Latur Constituency and won the Bombay Legislative Assembly election with a landslide victory.[2] Subsequently He won the assembly election in 1962 from Latur Constituency and became the Co-operative Minister for Maharashtra state.[2][6]

During his absence in Latur city while he was serving as a co-operative minister, opposition got stronger in the latur region. And as an aftermath of this he lost the assembly election in 1967 against socialist leader Bapu Kaldate[3]

Despite this huge setback, in 1972 he decided to stand from Ausa Constituency where he had very strong support in the form of his network of family members and relatives.[4] As a chief member of Congress Pradesh Committee he nominated the Shivaraj Patil as his successor for the Latur Constituency seat. This time he won the election against Madhav Patil and became the MLA from Ausa Constituency. Kashinath Jadhav lost by the margin of three thousand votes to Keshavraoji Sonavane in 1977 assembly elections.[7]

The Maharashtra Agricultural Produce Marketing (Development & Regulation) Act, 1963

As a Co-operative minister of Maharashtra Keshavrao Sonawane created the draft for this APMC act for the welfare of farmers in Maharashtra.[8] Before passing this law , every market committee was having its own rules, this law made all market committees in Maharashtra to have single central administrative law under state control. Agricultural produce market committee (APMC) is a marketing board established by a state government in India. APMC ensures that farmers are not exploited by any intermediaries like Dalals/Traders/commission agents who compel farmers to sell their produce at the farm gate for an extremely low price.This APMC act mandates that all food produce should first be brought to a market yard and then sold through auction.

Dalda Factory

Dalda Factory was first Asian oil mill set up on cooperative terms.[2] Keshavrao was very actively involved in the establishment of Dalda Factory in Latur District.

Dayanand Education Society

Dayanand Education society was established in the year 1961 in the month of May.[9] Earlier Latur was small town in the Osmanabad District.[9] Facilities for higher education were not available in the Latur so students were left with no option but going to cities like Hyderabad, Pune, and Mumbai and so on.[9]

Student from middle class and lower middle class families were not able to afford the costs of education and other costs arising from the needs to live in the cities like Mumbai, Pune etc.[9] Higher education was rather like a dream for students from poor families.[9] So to make the higher education facilities accessible to children of farmers, agricultural laborers, workers; the dignitaries and business people like Manikrao Sonavane, Chandrashekhar Bajpai, Ramgopalji Rathi and Keshavraoji Sonavane established Dayanand Education Society in the May month of year 1961[10]

Manikraoji Sonavane, chairman of market committee, convinced the farmers of Latur to contribute to this cause.[9] Shri Keshavraoji Sonavane, Co-Operative Minister of the Maharashtra state, contributed to this cause by completing all required formal government procedures.[9]

Terna Sugar Factory

This is the first co-operative sugar factory in Osmanabad and Latur District.[11][12] Formerly Latur was in Osmanabad District. Keshavraoji Sonavane brought this Sugar factory for Osmanabad and Latur District's farmers.[13] It was beginning of the co-operative movement in the sugar industry started by keshavraoji Sonavane. Terna sugar factory was registered in 1965 with production capacity of 1250 TCD.[14] Currently terna has 3500 TCD capacity.factory covers area of 3 talukas i.e. Osmanabad,Kallamb and Latur.this factory covers nearly 171 villages by area of operation.[14]

The Latur District Central Co-Op Bank Ltd. Latur

Keshavraoji Sonawane was instrumental in the setup of Latur District Central Co-Op Bank. Latur DCC bank was developed during Keshavraoji's tenure in the government as Co-operative minister.Co-operative bank forms an integral part of banking system in India. This bank operates mainly for the benefit of rural area, particularly the agricultural sector. Cooperative Banks in general and District Central Cooperative Banks in particular have to play major role in the upliftment of Economy. DCC Banks have direct access to agriculture and rural sector. The place of DCC Banks in cooperative banking is unique. They are intermediate between State Cooperative Bank and Primary Credit Cooperative Societies.By creating Latur DCC bank Keshavrao made a very positive impact on agricultural sector and especially on the farmers of Latur and Osmanabad District.

The District Bar Association, Latur

Keshavrao Sonavane was life member of District Bar Association, Latur.[15] Vilasrao Deshmukh and Shivraj Patil were also the life members of District Bar Association,Latur.[15]

References

  1. ↑ "सहकारमंत्री (कै.) केशवराव सोनवणे यांची पुतणी सरिता विराज पाटील यांची कर्नाटकातील बेळगाव महानगरपालिकेच्या नगरसेवकपदी बिनविरोध निवड झाली".
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Ex-minister Keshavrao Sonawane dead". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  3. 1 2 "Former MP Bapu Kaldate passes away". timesofindia-economictimes. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  4. 1 2 "Ausa (Maharashtra) Election Results 2014, Current and Previous MLA". elections.in. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "ODYSSEY OF MY LIFE". google.co.in. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "केशवराव सोनवणे यांच्या रूपानं जिल्ह्याला पहिल्यांदा सहकारमंत्रिपद मिळालं Divyamarathi".
  7. ↑ "Maha Polls: Will this BJP Muslim candidate make history?". dna. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  8. ↑ "The Maharashtra Agricultural Produce Marketing (Development & Regulation) Act, 1963" (PDF). Bombay High Court. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "History - Dayanand Science College,Latur". dsclatur.org. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  10. ↑ "Introduction - Dayanand College of Law, Latur.". dayanandlaw.org. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  11. ↑ "India Together: Cutting sugar: The bitter reality: Shirish Khare - 30 October 2013". indiatogether.org. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  12. ↑ "co-operative minister Shri Keshavraoji Sonawane has started two big factories on co-operative basis" (PDF). Shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  13. ↑ "Loksatta(Marathi Newspaper)". loksatta.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
  14. 1 2 "Management Of Working Capital". Management Of Working Capital By S.D. Talekar. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  15. 1 2 "History Of The District Bar Association , Latur.". laturadvocates.com. Retrieved 18 April 2015.
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