Basanta Kumar De

Major Basanta Kumar Dé (March 9, 1897 – August 31, 1975) was a senior manager of the Bengal Nagpur Railways.

Biography

He was the second son of Brajendranath De, esq., the 8th Indian member of the ICS and Nagendranandini Dé (nee Bose). On his father's side, he was a great grand-nephew of Peary Charan Sarkar and a nephew of Sir Nripendra Nath Sircar, an Advocate General of Bengal. On his mother's side he was a nephew of Kiran Chandra De, esq., ICS, and his wife.

Education and Career

He studied at Presidency College, Calcutta, Trinity College, Cambridge and the London School of Economics and Political Science, London.

He was recruited in to the BNR in London in 1921. He played an important role in the building of the BNR Hotel in Puri in its initial years, [http://www.members.tripod.com/~imtiaz_3/index-2.html/ BNR Hotel, South Eastern Railway, Puri, India] ] and later carried out the survey which led to the laying of the Raipur-Vizianagram to Sonepur-Bolangir railway line in 1931. As District Commercial Officer in Adra, now in West Bengal he was given the responsibility of managing the transportation of Congress leaders and members attending the Ramgarh Congress of 1941. He was also the Regional Controller of Railway Priorities (RCRP) under the Railway Board, based at Royal Exchange Place,Calcutta. In 1948, he became Superintendent-General and then in 1950 he became the 2nd Indian Commercial Traffic Manager (presently Chief Commercial Manager) of the BNR.

As a member of the Corps of Indian Engineers, he was also appointed as a Major in the Indian Army during the Second World War.

After retirement he was offered membership of the Railway Recruitment Board in Gorakhpur, which he declined. [http://www.railwayrecruitment.org/ Railway Recruitment Control Board] ] He was also an original Trustee of the Estate of the Late Gurusaday Dutt, esq, and had recommended the formation of the Gurusaday Dutt Folk Art Museum at Bratacharigram, Calcutta.

References

External links

* [http://www.gurusadaymuseum.org/ Gurusaday Museum, Calcutta]