Another Genious Colleague MGK passes away

 MGK Pillai, 3 years back- pic courtesy by SRN

Sh MGK Pillai formerly MS NREB and later Director General CPRI and Kerala Electricity Regulatory Commission Chairman expired May5, 2025 at 10.00 PM at Kollam, Kerala.

He lived and died gracefully.

Umpteen times, the three of us—Rama ji, MGK, and I—would sit together for a cup of tea outside Sewa Bhawan Jhuggies. He used to tease me, saying I was his lucky charm.

I had very much wanted to see him during my last visit to Kerala when I met Sh SR Nair and his respected wife in their house as well. He had just recovered from his bypass surgery. But due to a tight schedule and the group I was traveling with, I couldn’t fulfill that wish.

I recall a couple of instances when I met him in his room while he was serving as a Director. We were just chatting and preparing to step out for tea when he suddenly got a call from the Chairman’s office with some instructions. Without missing a beat, he jotted down the facts quickly. Then, politely excusing himself, he said, “Let me just finish this—I’ll forget it later.” He immediately called his junior officers and passed on the instructions. Within minutes, he was back, ready to talk again. We then carefully slipped out for our tea. He told me, “Before I forget, I like to attend to my seniors’ tasks immediately.” That moment left a strong impression on me—it was a valuable lesson in work ethic and respect for hierarchy.

Another time, while he was in charge of power system planning for the Northern Region, I had requested him to include the name of my village, Badbar, in the upcoming Five-Year Plan. He took the request seriously. When the report from the Punjab Electricity Board was presented by its Chief Engineer, he casually asked whether Badbar  was included as a substation. The Chief Engineer was taken aback—he hadn’t even heard of Badbar. After some inquiry and surprise, they worked to include it. When the final report was submitted a month later, he ensured that Badbar was listed, and a 66 kV substation was planned for it. That act of consideration meant a lot to me—and to my village.

Once, he had also asked me to arrange $1000 for his elder son’s admission to a Hotel Management course in Australia. I managed the amount through my father-in-law, who happened to be visiting us in Delhi. He later gave me Rs. 9000 in exchange.

I remember being invited for coffee at his home. I truly enjoyed the snacks and his quiet hospitality.

He was a man of few words, but his writing was powerful. He could draft meaningful, clear notes straight from the heart—without referring to any documents or old files. He was truly a genius.

I will miss him deeply.

I feel consoled that he passed away peacefully. He will always remain in my thoughts and prayers.

May the Almighty grant peace to Sh MGK Pillai’s departed soul.