Prem Sai Singh Tekam Explained

Prem Sai Singh Tekam
Birth Date:14 September 1954
Birthname:Prem Sai Tekam
Birth Place:Pratappur, Surajpur district, Chhattisgarh
Office:Minister of School education
Minister of minority affairs
Minister of Co-operative
Government of Chhattisgarh
1Blankname:Chief Minister
1Namedata:Bhupesh Baghel
Predecessor:

* Punnulal Mohle

Successor:Kedar Nath Kashyap
Term Start:2018
Term End:July 2023
Office1:Member of the Legislative Assembly
Term Start1:11 December 2018
Term End1:3 December 2023
Predecessor1:Ram Sewak Paikra
Successor1:Shakuntala Singh Porte
Term Start2:2008
Term End2:2013
Predecessor2:Constituency established
Successor2:Ram Sewak Paikra
Constituency2:Pratappur
Office3:Chairman of Chhattisgarh State Planning Commission
Term Start3:July 2023
Term End3:Incumbent
Party:Indian National Congress
Spouse:Rama Singh
Children:2

Prem Sai Singh Tekam (born 14 September 1954) is an Indian politician hailing from Chhattisgarh, India. He is presently serves as the Member of the Legislative Assembly from Chhattisgarh's Pratappur assembly constituency, a position he has held since 2018.[1] Tekam is affiliated with the Indian National Congress.

He assumed the responsibilities of the Education Minister of Chhattisgarh in 2018 and continued in that capacity until his resignation in July 2023. He also served as the Minister of Scheduled Castes and Tribal Welfare, Minister of Backward Classes and Minorities Welfare, Minister of School Education, and Minister of Co-operation in the Chhattisgarh state government.[2] [3]

In July 2023, he was appointed as the Chairman of the State Planning Commission and he retained the status of a cabinet minister in Chhattisgarh.[4]

Education

He graduated with a B.A.M.S. degree from Govt Ayurvedic College Raipur (Pt. Ravi Shankar College Raipur) in 1980.[5]

Career

He was elected as a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the first time in the year 1980, followed by winning assembly elections in 1985, 1993, 1998, and 2018. In 1993, he was appointed as the minister handling the portfolio of Water Resources and Legal Legislative Affairs Department in Government of Madhya Pradesh. In 1995, he was appointed as the minister of the Forest Department of Madhya Pradesh. He served as the minister of Revenue and Rehabilitation in the MP government from 1999 to 2000. In 2000, he became a cabinet minister, overseeing the portfolios of Agriculture, Cooperation, Animal Husbandry, and Fisheries in the Government of Chhattisgarh.[6]

From 2018 to 2023, he held the position of Education Minister in the Baghel ministry.

Controversies

In September 2022, Prem Sai Singh Tekam made a controversial remark, suggesting that liquor unites people, during a de-addiction campaign program where he was invited to address the audience. While referencing Madhushala, a poem by poet and writer Harivansh Rai Bachchan, he defended alcohol and declared that people should exercise greater self-control. A video of his statement widely circulated on social media and it garnered criticism.[7] [8]

Notes and References

  1. News: Pratappur Assembly Election Result: CONG's DR. PREMSAI SINGH TEKAM is won by 44105 Votes . . 12 December 2018.
  2. News: Chhattisgarh minister Premsai Singh Tekam resigns . . 13 July 2023.
  3. News: Chhattisgarh education minister resigns, ex-Congress chief likely to take over . . 13 July 2023.
  4. News: डॉ प्रेमसाय सिंह टेकाम को मिली बड़ी जिम्मेदारी, बनाए गए राज्य योजना आयोग के अध्यक्ष . Raj Express . 14 July 2023.
  5. News: DR. PREMSAI SINGH TEKAM . My Neta Info.
  6. Web site: Member Introduction . cgvidhansabha.gov.in.
  7. News: Liquor unites all: Chhattisgarh education minister at de-addiction event . . 5 September 2022.
  8. News: 'Many benefits to alcohol': Chhattisgarh minister at de-addiction event . . 1 September 2022.