Holiday declared for Alappuzha tomorrow as mark of respect to VS

ALAPPUZHA: A holiday has been declared in Alappuzha tomorrow as a mark of respect to V S Achuthanandan, who passed away yesterday. All educational institutions including professional colleges and government offices will remain closed on July 23.

The funeral cortege that left Secretariat this afternoon will reach Alappuzha by night. The body will then be kept at the Alappuzha CPM district committee office. The body will later be taken to Alappuzha Police Recreation Ground. The body will be laid to rest at 3 pm at the Valiya Chudukad tomorrow .

The funeral cortege took about 45 minutes to cover one kilometer. Many people, including women and children, are waiting on both sides of the road to pay their last respects to VS. The cortege has to cover 151 kilometers to reach Punnapra from Thiruvananthapuram. However, as a sea of people is waiting on both sides of the road to see VS for the last time, the body is expected to reach Punnapra very late.