Former Defence Minister and deputy chairman of Planning Commission Krishna Chandra Pant passed away in New Delhi today. He was 81. The Vice President, Prime Minister and Defence Minister have expressed deep grief on his death.
In his condolence message, Vice President Mohammad Hamid Ansari said Mr Pant's contribution to the nation building will be long remembered. Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh described him as a leader who served the nation with great distinction. Dr Singh said, in his passing away, the country has lost an eminent public figure and able administrator. Defence Minister AK Antony hailed Mr Pant for steering the ministry at one of the most critical junctures of history when Indian forces were deployed in strife-torn Sri Lanka on a peacekeeping mission. The Defence minister said he was instrumental in setting up of the first Coast Guard Air Station at Daman.

The son of Govind Ballabh Pant, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Union minister under late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Krishan Chandra Pant is survived by his wife former MP Ila Pant and two sons.
Pant, who had held the portfolios of defence, finance, energy and steel among others, was ailing for some time and breathed his last at 8:30am.
He was cremated shortly later without any state honours, a privilege normally given to former Union ministers, apparently because the family wanted it to be a private affair.
Pant, known for his persuasive skills, played the role of negotiator during the separate Telangana agitation in the 1970s and was instrumental in reaching of an agreement called 'Mulki Rules' that gave prominence recruitment of locals and ended the agitation.