BPR Vithal, a 1950 batch of IAS officer, who had served in many major assignments as a bureaucrat and expert in finance and economy, during his long and illustrious career, passed away early Friday. He was 93.
He is survived by his wife Seshu, daughter Nivedita Kumar, sons Sanjaya Baru and Chaitanya Baru.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao expressed deep sorrow over the demise. He recalled the services rendered by Vithal as the longest serving Finance and Planning Secretary, Vice-Chairman AP Planning and Development Board in the united AP state, Advisor, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Member of the Tenth Finance Commission.
Vithal served as Secretary, Finance and Planning, Government of Andhra Pradesh, from 1972 to 1982 and as Deputy Chairman, State Planning Board and Member, Tenth Finance Commission.
He had stints as Chairman, Expenditure Commission, Government of Kerala and later at the IMF as Fiscal Advisor to the governments of Sudan and Malawi.
Vithal also served as Registrar of Osmania University. He established the Centre for Economic and Social Studies in Hyderabad.
He had his early education at Madrasa-e-Aliya High School in Hyderabad and later graduated from Madras Christian College and joined the Hyderabad Civil Service in 1949, qualifying for the IAS in 1950.
According to available information, Vithal quit his under-graduate studies at Nizam College, Hyderabad, in 1942 and attended the Quit India session of the Indian National Congress in Mumbai and immersed himself in the national movement. On Gandhiji's advice, he returned to academics in Madras.
Among his many publications, Vithal’s The Telangana Surpluses: A Case Study, played an influential role in shaping the demand for statehood for Telangana.
Over his long retired life, Vithal was associated with many social organisations and causes including the Nizam's trust, Hyderabad Literary Society and Jana Vignana Vedika.
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