Paban Singh Ghatowar

Paban Singh Ghatowar is an Indian politician from Assam and a member of the Indian National Congress. He is a five-term Member of Parliament, and represented Dibrugarh Lok Sabha constituency from 1991 to 2004, and again from 2009 to 2014. He was the Chief Whip of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha from 2009 to 2012. Ghatowar was a Minister of State in the Union Government of India as the Minister for Development of North Eastern Region from 2012 to 2014, for Health and Family Welfare from 1995 to 1996, and for Labour from 1991 to 1993. He was the president of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee from 2002 to 2004.

Biography

Ghatowar was born in Sivasagar, Assam. He is a graduate of Gauhati University, and he studied Industrial Relations Training through the British Council in 1975. He was a leading figure of the Indian National Trade Union Congress in Assam, where he was General Secretary from 1985 to 1991, working for the welfare of tea garden labourers.
Ghatowar was elected to the Lok Sabha, the upper house of Parliament, in 1991, and he was re-elected in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2009. He was Minister of State for Labour from 1991 to 1993, and for Health and Family Welfare from 1995 to 1996. While President of the Assam Pradesh Congress Committee from 2002 to 2004, Ghatowar was considered a potential Chief Minister for the Indian National Congress in Assam. After the Indian National Congress won the 2009 general elections, Ghatowar was appointed Chief Whip of the Congress Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha. In 2012, he was appointed Minister of State, independent charge, for the Development of North Eastern Region.
Ghatowar's wife, Jibontara Ghatowar, was MLA of Moran from 2004 to 2016.