From Our Spl Correspondent
NEW DELHI: For the 61 year old Pawarban Singh Ghatowar, it is a long journey from an obscure tea garden to the high domed President’s House where he took oath as a Union Minister with Independent charge of North East replacing a veteran like B K Handiqueformer Cabinet Minister.
Ghato had a humble beginning as a leader of the tea tribe community inAssam to becoming an Union Minister at the centre with independent charge. The five-time M.P. from Dibrugarh MP first entered the Lok Sabha in 1991 after a long innings in the Indian National Trade Union Congress, Assam as its General Secretary. He was serving as Chief Whip of the Congress Party in Parliament.
And as general secretary, working for the welfare of several lakh tea garden labourers Parliamentary Party, Lok Sabha. Ghatowar’s wife Jibontara is an MLA engaged in over 1,000 tea estates.
Reacting to his appointment as minister of state (independent charge) in the ministry of development of North Eastern region (DoNER), Ghatowar said that he would try his best to work for the welfare ofthe eight Northeastern states. He will also take a through review ofnot only the ongoing projects but also the pending ones, he said.
Ghatowar, first became a deputy minister in the P V Narasimha Rao government and was later made a minister of state for health and family welfare.
He was also President of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee has been elected to the Lok Sabha continuously since 1991 barring once and after his election in 2009, he was made the chief whip, Congress party.