Shri Basappa Danappa Jatti

Shri Basappa Danappa Jatti

Shri Basappa Danappa Jatti, the former Vice-President of India passed away on 7 June, 2002 at Bangalore, Karnataka at the age of 90. He also served as the Acting President for five months from February to July, 1977.

Shri Jatti, during his illustrious administrative and political career served the nation in various capacities. An advocate by profession, Shri Jatti was legal practitioner in the erstwhile Princely State of Jamkhandi, now in Karnataka. An outstanding statesman, Shri Jatti was the Lieutenant Governor of Pondicherry from 1968 to 1972 and took over as the Governor of Orissa in November, 1972. He held the office of the Vice-President and Chairman of Rajya Sabha from 1974 to 1979 with great distinction.

Earlier, Shri Jatti was the Chairman of Municipal Council, Jamkhandi and Member of Legislature in the Princely State of Jamkhandi. He served as Minister under Maharaja of Jamkhandi and also became the Chief Minister. He piloted the proposal for merging the State with the Indian Union and was the first to do so in South India. He was nominated to the then composite State of Bombay as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. He became Parliamentary Secretary to then Chief Minister. He served as Deputy Minister of Health and Labour in the Morarji Desai Ministry of Bombay and later held charge as Minister of Health and Labour for some time. He was also appointed as Chairman of the Land Reforms Committee of the State and had submitted a report on the subject, which was later known as Jatti Committee Report. This report dealt with all problems and possible solutions regarding land reforms in the State. He was the Chief Minister of the erstwhile Mysore State from 1958 to 1962, Finance Minister in 1962 and Food Minister in 1966. He was re-elected to the Mysore Assembly in 1967.