Bengal govt expresses regret for not getting body of Manna Dey

The West Bengal government today expressed regret for not being able to cremate the body of legendary singer Manna Dey here.

"We are very sad for not being able to conduct the last rites of the singer here which we wanted," senior minister Subrata Mukherjee said.

"Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had earnestly wanted his body be brought here so that the last rites were done here in a graceful and respectful manner," Mukherjee said.Soon after the death news of the singer broke, the chief minister urged Dey's daughter to bring the body here, he said.

"But we are deprived of that and we are very sad about this since the singer was born in Kolkata and was essentially a Bengali," Mukherjee said.

The minister said that the state government would pay appropriate homage to the singer so that his superb renditions reverberated in the minds of music lovers for years to come.

The Dadasaheb Phalke awardee singer passed away at the age of 94 in Bangalore early today after suffering from acute lung infection.He was cremated in a Bangalore crematorium.