Veteran bureaucrat, economist, B.P.R. Vithal passes away at 93
Former IAS officer has many publications to his credit
Distinguished bureaucrat and economist B.P.R. Vithal passed away early morning on Friday. He was 93. His essay titled ‘The Telangana Surpluses: A Case Study’ played an influential role in shaping the demand for the separate state of Telangana. He established the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), Hyderabad.
An officer of the 1950 batch of the Indian Administrative Services (IAS), Vithal had served as secretary, finance and planning, in undivided Andhra Pradesh from 1972 to 1982; deputy chairman, State Planning Board and member, Tenth Finance Commission. He was also chairman, Expenditure Commission, Government of Kerala. He had a brief stint at the International Monetary Fund as fiscal advisor to the governments of Sudan and Malawi.
Vithal attended the Madrasa-e-Aliya High School, Hyderabad. In 1942, he left his undergraduate studies at Nizam College, Hyderabad, to join the Quit India session of the Indian National Congress in Mumbai and immersed himself in the freedom struggle. On the advice of Mahatma Gandhi, who wrote to him on a postcard that he preserved with care, Vithal returned to his studies at the Madras Christian College. There, he was the first Indian president of the MCC students’ union to fly the Indian Tricolour. In 1949, he joined the Hyderabad Civil Service, qualifying for IAS the next year.
Vithal’s father B.V. Rama Narasu had been principal of the Warangal Arts College and professor of economics at the Nizam College.
Apart from his essay on Telangana surpluses, Vithal has many publications to his credit.
In 1960, Vithal was deputed to be registrar of Osmania University. In his retired life, Vithal was associated with social organisations and causes including the Nizam's Trust, Hyderabad Literary Society and Jana Vignana Vedika.
Vithal is survived by his wife Seshu, daughter Nivedita Kumar, sons Sanjaya Baru and Chaitanya Baru.
Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao recalled Vithal’s services as the longest-serving finance and planning secretary, Vice-chairman of the Planning and Development Board in erstwhile Andhra Pradesh. He conveyed his condolences to the bereaved family.
IT minister K.T. Rama Rao took to Twitter and shared pictures of him and Vithal from his visit to the latter’s house in 2016. He noted that Vithal’s ‘Telangana Surpluses’ had emphatically dispelled any doubts on viability of Telangana as a state.
Vithal’s last rites will take place on Sunday.
In the early days of my career, it wasn't common for young bureaucrats to participate in high-level meetings. But Vithal was kind to us. When he was a principal secretary and I was just a deputy secretary-level employee, he invited me to a meeting and asked me to participate in the discussion. — K.V. Ramana Chary Adviser to TS government
I was very junior to him. I met him a few times over my career. But everyone had heard of him. When he was in the finance department, he was known to be a fair, reasonable yet rigid, and positive person. — M.V. Bhaskar Rao DGP, undivided Andhra Pradesh
I have read all his books on finance and economics. He was a great officer who had a human touch. He was of a rare breed. Vithal saab was a doyen of the civil service. — S.K. Joshi Former chief secretary, adviser to TS government