this brought employees of government run companies closer to the levels of their private counterparts and drastically reduced the exodus of talented managers and executives.

Dev was instrumental in several major initiatives, such as establishment of two Central Universities in Assam; welfare of labour especially of workers in tea gardens and villages; flood cyclone relief work; served the rural people of Assam with District Rural Development Agency (D.R.D.A.)

Loans; development of rural electrification and transport; provision of water, electricity and sanitation facilities to the slum dwellers; instrumental in extending financial help to the needy individuals and Associations/Clubs through a Trust established in memory of his father Late Shri Satindra Mohan Dev; and developed Silchar Regional Engineering College into an institution of repute; president, Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sammelani for 2 years; Chief Patron, Bipin Chandra Pal Trust; engaged in Socio-welfare activities established in memory of noted freedom fighter from North-East Region; took initiative in establishing Gas-based Power project at Adamtilla and Banskandi; actively involved in the construction of Barak Dam and extension of the broad-gauge line up to Silchar.

Satindra Mohan Dev was known as fierce opponent of British Rule and enjoyed the personal confidence of Jawaharlal Nehru.

In the mid Sixties in an independent India he was offered the governorship of Bihar, but he turned it down, preferring to stay in his hometown of Silchar.

A member of the Dev family has occupied an elected office from South Assam for all but 10 years since Indian Independence.

An avid reader, Mr Dev is personally inspired by Famous Bengali writers like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Rabindranath Tagore.