This Article is From Nov 06, 2010

Former Bengal Chief Minister Siddhartha Ray passes away

Kolkata: Former West Bengal Chief Minister Siddhartha Shankar Ray tonight died at his south Kolkata residence after a protracted illness.

He was 90 and survived by his wife Maya Ray.
     
"Ray was ill for quite a long time and had been on dialysis since March. The end came about 6:50 pm," his confidential assistant M Kaviraj told PTI.

Ray, a close friend of former chief minister late Jyoti Basu, was elected as the chief minister in 1972.

The Congress veteran, a former Punjab Governor, had also served as the Indian Ambassador to the US.

A confidant of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in the 70s, he was appointed union minister (in-charge of West Bengal affairs) by her in 1971.

Ray was a grandson of revolutionary freedom fighter Deshbandhu Chittaranjan Das.
 
.