Nareshchandra Singh

Raja Nareshchandra Singh (b. 21 November 1908 — d. 11 September 1987), former ruler of Sarangarh Princely State in Raigarh District, Chhattisgarh and Indian National Congress politician was a former Chief Minister of undivided Madhya Pradesh.

Raja Nareshchandra Singh was the last ruler of the Princely State of Sarangarh in the modern state of Chhattisgarh in Central India. He ruled after the death of his father Raja Jawahir Singh in January 1946 till the merger of his State into the union of India on 1 January 1948.

Girivilas Palace, Sarangarh

. An alumnus of the Rajkumar College, Raipur in the footsteps of his father, Naresh Chandra Singh worked as an Honorary Magistrate in Raipur district before being inducted as the Education Minister in the administration of Sarangarh State.

After Independence, he joined Indian national Congress Party and won the first General Election held in 1952 to the State assembly of (old) Madhya Pradesh. He was made a cabinet minister in the cabinet of Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla and was given the portfolio of Electricity and Public Works Departments.

His tenure is remembered for the conceptualization and creation of a separate and full fledged directorate and department for the development and welfare of the tribals with focussed state policies on these matters. A bridge on the River Mahanadi at Arang near Raipur on the Great Eastern Road in 1954 linked Madhya Pradesh, and after the bifurcation of the State, Chhattisgarh, to Orissa for the first time through an all weather motorable road. It opened gates for trading between the regions, that has flourished since then. He is credited with the smooth bifurcation of assets and manpower of the electricity department between the States when the new Madhya Pradesh came into being on 1 November 1956. This bifurcation planted the seed of what later came to be known as Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board.

A RajGond tribal himself, he was famous for his rapport with, and popularity amongst the vast tribal population of Madhya Pradesh. An avid reader, he was equally famous for the rich library he possessed in his palace in Sarangarh, Chhattisgarh. He won the second, third and fourth general elections too and was a minister throughout in different Congress Ministries in Madhya Pradesh. in 1969 he became the Chief Minister for 13 days (13 March 1969 to 25 March 1969)^[1][2]. Disgusted with the way politics had come to be practised, he resigned the office of the chief ministership and membership of the State Assembly simultaneously and quit politics.

His wife Rani Lalita Devi (died 7 November 1987) was elected unopposed in his place in the by-election that was held after his resignation. His daughters continued to be in public life: the eldest, Rajnigandha Devi was a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha 1967-71), Kamala Devi was a member of State Assembly of Madhya Pradesh from 1971 to 1989, and a minister for 15 years, Pushpa Devi Singh was thrice elected to the Lok Sabha Parliament in 1980, 1985 and 1991. The fourth daughter Dr. Menka Devi is engaged in social work in the fields of Community Medicine and Education along with her husband Dr.Parivesh Mishra. The youngest, Purnima Singh is married to Mr. Steve Ellison and is into business. His son Shishir Bindu Singh did nor join political or public life. His grandchildren are Nandita and Chandraveer (daughter and son of Rajnigandha Devi), Mrinalika Singh, born 23 May 1978 (daughter of Kamala Devi Singh) and Kulisha Mishra, born 19 February 1986, currently pursuing her post-graduate studies in Law in the Nottingham University(daughter of Dr. Menka Devi and Dr. Parivesh Mishra)^[3]

External links

• Sarangarh Princely state

References

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