Santosh Mohan Dev

From Freepedia

Santosh Mohan Dev is a veteran leader of Indian National Congress. Elected to Parliament in 1980, the first of an unprecedented 7 terms in office as the Member for Silchar.

During his political career as an elected respresetative, S.M. Dev held crucial cabinet posts.A veteran 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, and 1999. 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.

As of 2005, he is the minister of industry 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 pwerhouse. 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 competitve. he is a third genration congressman. His father was one of the first legislators of independant inda. His grandfather was also an active member of the freedom struggle. The communal harmony in South Assam is widely attibutes to his pluralistic approach to politics.