Manali: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur and his cabinet colleagues on Sunday dispersed the ashes of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the Beas river at a function here.
Earlier, a prayer meeting to pay tributes to him was held at a tourist resort where Vajpayee constructed his house.
Hundreds paid homage to the former Prime Minister who died on August 16.
Paying tributes, Thakur described Vajpayee as a visionary leader who was above party politics. His demise was indeed a great loss to the nation in general and Himachal Pradesh in particular.
He said Vajpayee has a special place in his heart for the people of the state and the state would always miss him.
Vajpayee always considered Himachal Pradesh his second home and had a house at Prini (near here). Whenever he got time from his busy schedule, he visited Manali and wrote some unforgettable poems there, the Chief Minister said.
The idea to construct the Rohtang tunnel connecting the landlocked Lahaul valley with the rest of the country was conceived by Vajpayee in 1998, he added.
Thakur said this project was nearing completion and would be the biggest gift of Vajpayee to the state.
Forest Minister and local legislator Govind Thakur said Vajpayee had special love for the people of the state in general and Kullu-Manali in particular.
[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]