ML Verma honoured on 34th death anniversary
1972 batch HCS officer killed by terrorists in 1992
The 34th martyrdom anniversary of senior IAS officer ML Verma, who served as Principal Secretary to former Haryana Chief Minister Bhajan Lal, was observed on Sunday with full respect and reverence. Commemorative programmes were held across the state, marking the occasion as Anti-Terrorism Day.
The main tribute programme took place at ML Verma’s ancestral village of Lalahari Kalan (Yamunanagar), where a large number of administrative officers, social organisations, ex-servicemen and villagers participated.
Verma’s brother and Ambala Divisional Commissioner, IAS Sanjeev Verma, attended the programme. He said that ML Verma’s sacrifice serves as an inspiration not only for the administrative service but for society as a whole.
On February 1, 1992, IAS officer ML Verma was killed when terrorists opened indiscriminate fire on his vehicle while he was travelling from Chandigarh to Kakkarmakra. In this attack, ML Verma, his wife Preeti Verma, their two young sons Gaurav and Saurabh, the driver and the gunman — died on the spot.
ML Verma, a 1972 batch HCS officer, became an IAS officer in 1988. During his career, ML Verma was entrusted with sensitive issues such as the SYL canal dispute between Haryana and Punjab and the capital city dispute, which made him a target of terrorist attacks over a long period.
