Former Union minister Santosh Mohan Dev dies at 83

Guwahati/New Delhi: Veteran Congress leader and former Union minister Santosh Mohan Dev passed away at a hospital at Silchar in Barrak Valley on Wednesday following his prolong illness. He was 83. The seven-time MP was suffering from kidney and other ailments.

He is survived by his former legislator wife Bithika Dev and four daughters, including a Congress MP from Silchar, Sushmita Dev.

He was elected to the Lok Sabha seven times since 1980, five times from Silchar and twice from Tripura. The Congress leader was Union minister for heavy industries and public enterprise in the first UPA government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

He also served as the Union minister of state for communications during 1986-88 and the minister of state for home from 1988-89. He was Union minister of state for steel (independent charge) in the P.V. Narasimha Rao government in 1991.

He was first elected to the Parliament in 1980.

The son of freedom fighter Satindra Mohan Dev, Dev was the third-generation Congressman. He was also seen as one of the most trusted ministers of Rajiv Gandhi.

Several political leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, condoled the death of veteran leader.

“Saddened by the passing away of Shri Santosh Mohan Dev. He was veteran political leader who worked extensively for welfare of people,” the Prime Minister said.

“My thoughts are with the family and supporters of Shri Santosh Mohan Dev in this hour of grief,” he added.

Mrs Gandhi noted that in a political career spanning five decades, Dev held numerous crucial political assignments in the Congress and in the government.

“His immense contribution to build the party in the Northeast, right from the grassroots level would always be remembered,” she said in a statement

His death is an irreparable loss to the nation, she added.