Kerala Cabinet, which met here on Sunday night, declared three days’ State mourning from Monday for the death of Food and Civil Supplies Minister T. M. Jacob in Kochi on Sunday.
The funeral of Mr. Jacob will take place on Tuesday morning and the day would be declared a holiday for the entire State. Monday will a local holiday for Ernakulam district.
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy told the media after the special meeting of the Cabinet that the holiday on Tuesday would be under the Negotiable Instruments Act. Examinations on Tuesday would stand postponed. However, any examinations scheduled for Monday in Ernakulam
district would be held.
The Chief Minister said that the body of Mr. Jacob would be placed at the Ernakulam Town Hall from 10 am to 1 pm on Monday for the public to pay homage to him. The body would then be taken to Piravom and placed at the Piravom School from 5 pm for the public to pay their last respects. (The cortege from Ernakulam to Piravom would be via M. G. Road, Vytilla, Tripoonithura, Hill Palace, Chottanikkara, Arakkunnam and Mulanthuruthi. )
Thereafter, the body would be kept overnight at his ancestral home at Valiappadam. Mr. Jacob would be laid to rest at cemetery of the Kakkur St. Mary’s Jacobite Church around 10 am on Tuesday.
Mr. Chandy said that the funeral was decided in consultation with his family, and the family members had decided against his body being brought to Thiruvananthapuram.
He said that the State had lost an able administrator and astute parliamentarian in Mr. Jacob. His demise was an irreparable loss for the ruling United Democratic Front. Within days of the UDF government assuming power, Mr. Jacob had been able to take steps for supply of rice to the poor at Re. 1 a kg by Onam. He has also successfully implemented the decision to issue ration cards to applicants in a day’s time. “The Cabinet expresses its deep grief over the death of Mr. Jacob,” he added.
