Senior Akali leader Tota Singh dies at 81

Bathinda: Former Punjab Cabinet minister Tota Singh passed away at his residence at Moga in the early hours of Saturday. The 81-year-old Shiromani Akali Dal leader had served as education minister in the Parkash Singh Badal government from 1997 to 2002 and then agriculture and NRI affairs minister in the Badal government from 2012 to 2017.
Earlier, he had served as chairman Punjabi Mandi Board from 1985-87 during the Surjit Singh Barnala government. Tota was suffering from lung infection for quite some time now and only a day earlier had returned home from a private hospital. As his sons are living abroad, the cremation will take place at Moga on Tuesday.
SAD patron Parkash Singh Badal and party president Sukhbir Singh Badal have condoled the demise of Tota Singh. He was a close associate of senior Badal and Surjit Singh Barnala.
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann and speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan too condoled the demise.
Tota Singh was also known as ‘Jathedar Ji’, especially in Akali circles.
He had won from Moga assembly constituency in 1997 and was made a minister. He again won in 2002, but lost his seat in 2007, after which he shifted to Dharamkot assembly segment.