Balwant Singh Ramoowalia
Balwant Singh Ramoowalia | |
|---|---|
| Cabinet Minister, Government of Uttar Pradesh[1] | |
| In office 2015–Incumbent | |
| Member of 6th Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1977–1979 | |
| Member of 8th Lok Sabha | |
| In office 1984–1989 | |
| Member of Rajya Sabha | |
| In office 1996–2002 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 15 March 1942 |
| Political party | Shiromani Akali Dal(till 2015) Samajwadi Party(2015-) |
Balwant Singh Ramoowalia[2] (born 15 March 1942) is an Indian politician. His father Karnail Singh Paras was a well-known Kavishar. Balwant Singh started his political career with student politics as a general secretary of Student Federation of India in 1963. He went on to join All India Sikh Students' Federation and was its president from 1968-72.[3] Later he joined Akali Dal and became Member of Parliament twice from Faridkot and Sangrur. He left Akali Dal to get elected to Rajya Sabha in 1996 and served as the Union Minister for Social Welfare. He formed his own political party Lok Bhalai Party that he merged into Akali Dal in November 2011. He contested for Punjab assembly in 2012 elections from Mohalli and lost.
Position held
Ramoowalia was
- President,(i) All India Sikh Students Federation, 1968–72 and (ii) Punjabi Bhalai Manch
- General Secretary, Students' Federation of India, 1963–64
- Propaganda Secretary, Shiromani Akali Dal, 1975–77 and 1980–82
- Secretary General, Shiromani Akali Dal, 1985–87
- Leader, Akali Dal Group, 8th Lok Sabha
- Member, (i) Senate Punjabi University, Patiala, 1978–80, (ii) Syndicate, Punjabi University, Patiala since 1996, (iii) Board of Indian Airlines, 1991–93, (iv) 6th and 8th Lok Sabha, (v) Public Accounts Committee, 1987–88, (vi) Estimates Committee,1986–87, (vii) Committee on Public Undertakings,1988–89, (viii) Business Advisory Committee,1978–79, (ix) Committee on Petitions, 1978–79, (x) Consultative Committee for the Ministry of Industry, 1985–89, (xi) Consultative Committee for the Ministry of External Affairs, 1978–79 and (xii) Committee on Labour and Welfare
- previously associated with Shiromani Akali Dal
- Union Minister of Social Welfare,1996–98
- elected to the Rajya Sabha in November, 1996.[4]
Other associations
- Chief Patron, International Punjabi Society
- President, Shiromani Punjabi Sabha
- Member, India International Centre.
- Travels abroad: UK, U.S., Russia, Canada, Netherlands, Australia, Italy, Iraq, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong, Japan and Philippines.
- Awarded "Secular Punjabi of the Globe" by the Indo-Canadian Association, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
- Publications: Punjab Di Dhaun Utte Talwar.
References
- ^ http://www.ndtv.com/india-news/senior-akali-leader-quits-party-joins-akhilesh-yadavs-government-as-minister-1238412
- ^ Eighty per cent of the marriages to NRI men in Punjab are doomed, as the husbands never return to take their brides," says Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, the lone crusader for the helpless NRI wives.
- ^ http://www.nriinternet.com/NRIpoliticians/INDIA/A_Z/R/Ramuwalia/BIO.htm
- ^ B.S. Ramoowalia