Surendra Kumar Dey, (September 13, 1906 – May 24, 1989)[1] was India's first Union Cabinet minister for Cooperation and Panchyati Raj.

In this post, Dey proved himself as a “social engineer” and was noticed by top government officials, including then-Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.

After Nehru's death, Dey resigned from the ministry and dedicated his time to building Panchayati Raj institutions in the country.

The core of this model was its focus on combining agriculture and industrial development, with the township receiving support in goods and services from surrounding villages.

Impressed with the model, Nehru termed it the “Mecca of Development” and called for the creation of many more Nilokheris across the country.

Dey was a member of the Balwant Rai Mehta Committee (1957) that was set up to study the Community Development Programme.

The Committee assessed the extent to which the programme had succeeded in utilizing local initiatives and in creating institutions to ensure continuity in improving economic and social conditions in rural areas.