Father's Name		Late Dr. Dhanapati Panja

Date of Birth		13 September 1936

Place of Birth		Calcutta (West Bengal)

Marital Status		Widower (Married on 11 August 1960)

Spouse's Name		Late Prof. Jaya Panja

Children		One son and one daughter

Educational		B.A., Bar-at-Law

			Educated at Scottish Church College, Calcutta

			University, Calcutta (West Bengal), Lincoln's Inn,

			London (U.K.)

Profession		Lawyer, Political and Social Worker

Permanent Address	250, Chittaranjan Avenue, Calcutta-700006

			(West Bengal)

			Tel. (033) 2412525, 2411525

			Fax.  2310199

Present Address		17, Windsor Place,

			New Delhi-110001

			Tel. (011) 3782057

			Fax  (011) 3782436

Positions Held

1971,1972-77		Member, West Bengal Legislative Assembly

and 1982-85

1971-72			Cabinet Minister, Judiciary and Parliamentary Affairs (Home),  West Bengal

1972-77			Cabinet Minister, Health and Family Planning and Water Supply,

			Calcutta Corporation, Municipal Affairs and Forests Development, West Bengal

			Chairman, Jhargram Development Board

1973			Member, All India Congress Committee (A.I.C.C.)

1977			President, District Congress Committee (D.C.C.) (I), North Calcutta, West Bengal

1980-81			President, Pradesh Congress Committee (P.C.C.)(I), West Bengal

1984			Elected to 8th Lok Sabha

1985-86			Union Minister of State, Planning

1986			Union Minister of State, Food and Civil Supplies

1986-88			Union Minister of State, Information and Broadcasting (Independent Charge)

1988-89			Union Minister of State, Finance

1989			Re-elected to 9th Lok Sabha (2nd term)

1990			Member, Committee of Privileges Member, Consultative Committee,

			Ministry of Finance

1990-91			Member, Committee on Public Accounts Member, Informal Consultative

			Committee, Railway Zone

1991			Re-elected to 10th Lok Sabha (3rd term)

1991-93			Union Minister of State, Information and Broadcasting (Independent Charge)

1993-95			Union Minister of State, Coal (Independent Charge)

1996			Re-elected to 11th Lok Sabha (4th term)

1996-97			Member, Committee on Energy Member, Business Advisory Committee

1998			Re-elected to 12th Lok Sabha (5th term) Chief Whip, West Bengal Trinamool

			Congress Parliamentary Party

1998-99			Member, Committee on Industry Member, Consultative Committee, Ministry of

			Urban Affairs and Employment Chairman, West Bengal Trinamool Congress

1999			Re-elected to 13th Lok Sabha (6th term)

13 Oct.1999		Union Minister of State, External Affairs

Social and Cultural Activities

Engaged  in  social  work  for  the  poor,  needy and physically handicapped; connected with several

social organisations for the welfare  of  minority  communities, scheduled  castes, scheduled tribes 

and the downtrodden

Special Interests  	

Reading story books for children, singing and writing

Favourite Pastime and Recreation  	

Reading, listening to music, gardening and Singing

Sports and Clubs Member 

(i) Mohan Bagan Club; 

(ii) Calcutta Club; 

(iii) East Bengal Club; 

(iv) Aiykya Saminilani Football Club

Countries Visited

Widely travelled; Member, PM's Delegation to Australia, Indonesia,New Zealand and Thailand,

October 1986;  Leader, 

(i)  Delegation to  Bhutan,  November,  1986;  

(ii)  Delegation to International Film  Festival  at  Mauritius  and  Moscow, 1987  and July 1991;

(iii)  Delegation  to  Information Ministers of SAARC Countries Conference at  Harare,  June,  1987;  

(iv)  Delegation to  Burma and Thailand in July 1988; 

(v) Delegation  to the  Film  Segment of  the  Festival  of India,Berlin,1991;

(vi)  Parliamentary Delegation  to  U.K.,  France   and   Germany

(vii) Delegation to Germany in September, 1993;

(viii) High Power  Delegation  for  establishing  bilateral relations in the field of Coal Industries, China, 1994

Other Information

Member, Supreme Court Bar Association and High Court Bar Association

Election Result of Calcutta North East Lok Sabha Constituency

Electors		: 924613

Voters		: 658740

Poll Percentage	: 71.24%

Valid Votes 	: 658631

Votes polled in favour of the first four leading candidates: