Santosh Mohan Dev

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1 Background
2 Career
3 Achievements
4 Personal
5 links

[edit] Background

Sontosh Mohan Dev is a veteran Indian political leader and a key member of the Indian National Congress. Mr Dev was first elected to the Parliament in 1980, the first of Seven terms in office as the Member Of Parliament for Silchar Assam and also From Tripura. Mr Dev has the rare distinction of being elected from two different states.

One of Rajiv Gandhi's (left) most trusted ministers

[edit] Career

During his political career as an elected representative, S.M. Dev held crucial cabinet and non Cabinet posts. An Experienced and Knowledgeable Parliamentarian, Mr. Dev represented India in the Population Conference held in China in 1982 and was member of the Indian Parliamentary Delegation to Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference at Isle of Man in 1984. He was Union Minister of State for Tourism and Communications during 1986-1988 and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs during 1988-1989. He also held the charge of Union Minister of State, Steel (Independent Charge) in 1991. Shri Dev entered the Lok Sabha for the first time in 1980. Subsequently, he was elected to Lok Sabha in 1985, 1989, 1991, 1996, 1999 and 2004. Shri Dev was reelected to 14th Lok Sabha from Silchar in Assam. Shri Dev was Chairman, Public Accounts Committee during 1990-1991 and was member of Parliamentary Committee of General Purpose Committee. He was also member of Tea Board during 1981-83. Between 1999-2004 Mr Dev held various parliamentary responsibilities including Chairman Committee on Energy, Member House Committee, Member General Purposes Committee.

Santosh was minister of state for communication at a crucial time in the mid eighties and and played and important role in its emergence from state control( seen here in the mid eighties initiating the laying of cables across the Arabian Sea

[edit] Achievements

As of 2005, he is the minister of heavy industry and public enterprise in the Union Cabinet. His salient achievements include, the deregulation of steel in the mid 1990s as minister of steel which unshackled potential of the indigeneous steel industry making India a global steel powerhouse. He was also instrumental in setting up a national university in Silchar, Assam. He played a key role in the freight equalisation scheme in the early 1990s in India which removed unequal rail freight charges among the states, thereby making them more competitive.

He is a third generation Congressman. His father was one of the first legislators of independent India. His grandfather was also an active member of the Indian freedom struggle. The communal harmony in South Assam is widely attributes to his pluralistic approach to politics.

Santosh is currently in the Manmohan Singh cabinet as minister of heavy industries and public enterprise. Despite having to contend with the strident left allies he has still managed to devolve considerable powers of decision making from the government to the management of PSUs

[edit] Personal

Santosh Mohan Dev is the eldest of three sons of the renowned Bengali North Eastern Freedom Fighter Satindra Mohan Dev. Satindra Mohan Dev was known as fierce opponent of British Rule and enojoyed the personal confidence of Jawaharlal Nehru. He was jailed a number of times by the British for his resistance activities. In the mid Sixties in an independent India he was offered the governorship of Bihar, but he turned it down, preferring to stay in his hometown of Silchar. A member of the Dev family has occupied an elected office from south Assam for all but 10 years of the sixty years since Indian Independence.

Santosh Mohan Dev Was Educated in G.C college in Silchar Assam and has an MBA from the Welsh College In Cardiff UK shri Dev has four daughters and his Wife Bithika Dev is currently a Member of the state legislative assembly of Assam from his home constituency of Silchar. A little known fact about this legendary pipe smoking starwalt of the congress party is that he is also a certified and professionally qualified as a National football referee. In his earlier years Shri Dev was also the winner of the All Assam Lawn Tennis Championship.

An avid sportsman, Mr Dev has often been tasked with the onerous deed of keeping wickets for the Lok Sabha in the annual parliamentary criket matches. Making our motley crew of MPs bowl line and length by his own admission has not been easy! Mr Dev now shares his time between Silchar his parliamentary constituency and His cabinet duties in New Delhi. An avid reader, Mr Dev is personally inspired by Famous Bengali writers like Bankim Chandra and Rabindranath Tagore. He enjoys the company of his four Grandchildren and takes pride in the fact that his youngest daughter is practicing advocate at the Supreme court of India. He is closely supported by the people of his constituency and is a popular figure among all Bengalis.