Baba Amte's funeral to take place on Sunday

The mortal remains of noted social activist and Magsaysay award winner Murlidhar Devidas Amte, fondly known as Baba Amte, will be laid to rest on Sunday morning, family sources said.

Amte (94) breathed his last around 4.15 am on Saturday at "Anandvan Ashram", the abode for leprosy patients, in Warora taluka of Chandrapur district in Maharashtra, his eldest son Dr Vikas Amte said.

Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and host of ministers and other social activists including Medha Patkar would be attending the funeral.

Amte's daughter Sheetal was in Sri Lanka and is returning on Saturday, after which all the family members will decide upon whether he should cremated or buried, Vikas said.

Baba had earlier expressed his desire that his body be buried instead of being cremated, he added.