Blasius M. D'Souza

Blasius M. D'Souza (February 22, 1938 - January 26, 2008) was an Indian politician from Mangalore. A member of the Indian National Congress from Mangalore, he was the first Roman Catholic minister in the Karnataka state government.

Biography

Blasius D'Souza was the son of AR D'Souza, a prominent businessman in Mangalore. He studied at St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, from where he graduated with a B.Com. degree in 1959. At St. Aloysius, he was president of the College Student's Union and also a member of the hockey team. He earned his L.L.B. from Siddhartha Law College, Mumbai, in 1961. He had five children, Anoop, Rohith Sonia, Reema & Rovena.

Political career

Blasius D'Souza entered politics as a Mangalore City Council member in 1962 from Congress Party, where he served for 17 years. For seven years from 1972 to 1979 he was the Council President. He served as a District Chairman of Congress Committee in Dakshina Kannada district until recently. He was a Member of Legislative Council in Karnataka Legislature from 1980 to 1985 and represented Mangalore as a Member of Legislative Assembly for nine years. In the July 1991, he was appointed Law Minister of Karnataka in the Veerappa Moily government. He cleared an average of 25,00 files a month and created a record during his tenure as a minister. In November 1992, he was appointed Minister for Labour in a Cabinet Reshuffle, a position in which he served until 1994.

Death

Mr D'Souza died at 5:30 a.m. at the KMC hospital in Mangalore on January 26, 2008. His funeral was attended by Karnataka Congress leaders such as M Veerappa Moily, B Janardhan Poojary, B Ramanath Rai, former ministers B Nagaraj Shetty and B A Moideen, former MP Vinaykumar Sorake, local Congress leaders Ivan D'Souza and Naveen D'Souza among others. National politicians Oscar Fernandes and George Fernandes also attended.

Positions held

* Member of Legislative Council
* Member of Legislative Assembly
* Minister for Law
* Minister for Labour
* Member, Indian National Congress.
* President Students Union St. Aloysius College, Mangalore.
* Chairman, City Central Library, Mangalore.
* Senate Member, Mangalore University.
* Member, Karnataka Telecommunication Advisory Board.
* Vice-Chairman, Hind Kuhst Nivarana Sangha Mangalore.
* Chairman Board of Visitors Govt. Venlock Hospital, Mangalore.
* Member, Board of Visitors Lady Goschan Hospital, Mangalore.
* Member, Mangalore Port Trust, New Mangalore
* Member, Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission.
* Member, Karnataka State Town and Country Planning Board, Bangalore.
* Member, Planning Authority, Mangalore.
* Founder, Patron Mangalore Wild Life Trust.
* Founder-Chairman Millions of Tree Club, Mangalore.
* Member, World Forestry Day Committee, New Delhi.
* Member, Karnataka State Board for prevention and Control of Water Pollution, Bangalore.
* Vice-Chairman, D.K. District Tuberculosis Assn. Mangalore.
* Member Governing Council, Fr. Muller's Charitable Institution, Mangalore.
* Founder President Mangalore Auto Rickshaw and Car Operators Co-operative Society, Mangalore.
* Executive Committee Member KPCC (I) from 1979 to 1982.
* President Dakshina Kannada DCC(I) from 1979 to 1992, 2001
* Member Organisation Election Committee for Orissa State 1999.
* Chairman ,Membership Books Committee for Membership drive of the party in Karnataka 1999.
* Observer Goa Legislative Assembly Election 1999.
* Vice-President, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (I) Since 1998.
* Chairman, Pradesh Election Authority for Goa.
* Councillor Mangalore City Municipal Council 1962 to 1979
* President Mangalore City Municipal Council 1972 to 1979.
* President, Dakshina Kannada Hockey Association.
* Member Governing Board Fr. Muller's Hospital, Mangalore.
* Member, Governing Board St. Joseph's Engineering College, Mangalore.
* Chairman, Cheshire homes India, Mangalore Unit.
* Member, KPCC (I) and AICC (I).
* Member, Library Committee
* Member, Public Undertaking Committee
* Member, House Committee
* Member, SC/ST Committee
* Member, Public Accounts Committee
* Member, Managing Committee, SDM Law College, MG Road, Mangalore
* Deputy Leader of the Indian Delegation to the 81st Session of the International Labour Organisation held at Geneva during the Month of June, 1994.

External links

* [http://www.hindu.com/2008/01/27/stories/2008012756640400.htm Obituary in The Hindu]
* [http://mangalorean.com/news.php?newstype=broadcast&broadcastid=65203 Obituary in Manglorean.Com]