Prem Prakash Pandey

{{Short description|Indian politician}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=December 2018}} {{Multiple issues| {{BLP sources|date=October 2016}} {{prose|date=October 2016}} {{tone|date=October 2016}} }} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Prem Prakash Pandey | image = Durg.jpg | office = Minister of Revenue, Disaster Management and Rehabilitation, Government of Chhattisgarh | 1blankname = Chief Minister | 1namedata = Raman Singh | successor = Jai Singh Agrawal | predecessor = Amar Agrawal | term_start = 9 December 2013 | term_end = 11 December 2018

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1958|03|08|df=y}} | birth_place = Bhurwar, Uttar Pradesh, India

| party = Bharatiya Janata Party | spouse = Krishnavati Pandey | children = 3 | website = {{url|premprakashpandey.in}} }}

'''Prem Prakash Pandey''' (born 8 March 1958) is an Indian politician who served as the 2nd Speaker of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly. He is a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party and was Cabinet Minister in Raman Singh's government. He is one of the architects of Chhattisgarh, which was formed in 2000 after the bifurcation of Madhya Pradesh. As a compliment to his efficiency and grasp on the political aspect, he was chosen for the distinguished post of Speaker of the 2nd Legislative Assembly of Chhattisgarh. He was also a minister in Government of unpartitioned Madhya Pradesh. <ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.cgvidhansabha.gov.in/ | title=Official website | publisher=Chhatishgarh Legislative Assembly | accessdate=14 December 2018 }} {{full citation needed|date=December 2018}}</ref> <ref>{{cite news|title=Upper caste dominates Chhattisgarh new cabinet|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/upper-caste-dominates-chhattisgarh-new-cabinet/article5474854.ece|accessdate=25 March 2014|newspaper=The Hindu|date=11 December 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Speaker|url=http://cgvidhansabha.gov.in/english/speaker1.htm|publisher=Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha website|accessdate=10 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Chhattisgarh Assembly elections: List of MLAs|url=http://ibnlive.in.com/news/chhattisgarh-assembly-elections-list-of-mlas/438504-80-259.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211013006/http://ibnlive.in.com/news/chhattisgarh-assembly-elections-list-of-mlas/438504-80-259.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 December 2013|accessdate=25 March 2014|newspaper=IBN Live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| title=Pandey, Shri Prem Prakash - Bharatiya Janata Party - Bhilai Nagar (65) | url=http://cgvidhansabha.gov.in/hindi_new/mla_biodata_4th/65.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190701142637/http://cgvidhansabha.gov.in/hindi_new/mla_biodata_4th/65.pdf | archive-date=2019-07-01}}</ref>

== Early life == Prem Prakash Pandey was born on 8 March 1958, in Bhurwar, Thana-Bankata, District Deoria, Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Pandey hails from a typical Indian middle-class family. His father was a serviceman at the Bhilai Steel Plant and his mother was a homemaker. He was 11 years younger than the Independent India but was more worried and affected by the growth and political development in India. The gory emergence of Naxalites in the country and in his state had an indelible impact on him. Many other local and national occurrences affected him subconsciously and chiselled him, in later years, to actively contribute to nation-building.

== Political life == {{BLP unsourced section|date=December 2016}} Prem Prakash Pandey began his political career in 1976, when he was pursuing education. One major political crisis that triggered his zeal to serve the nation is when India was reeling under the attack on democracy in the garb of emergency in 1975. He was imbued, especially by Atalji, during this phase. His first step into politics was when he decided to join the Akhil Bharthi Vidhyarthi Parishad. He took this decision when he was only in Class 11. This very well exemplifies his deep conviction and commitment towards serving the public and solving their maladies. In 1976, he officially entered politics at Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University. He gradually moved up the ladder with his grit and determination. In 1990, he won the first election and was entrusted with the charge of Minister of Education, Skill Development, and Technical Education in undivided Madhya Pradesh.{{fact|date=September 2025}}

In 1993, he became an Elected member of the Legislative Assembly, and later in 1995, he was elected as an executive member of the BJP Yuva Morcha. A commendable milestone that he earned was being elected as the Speaker of the Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha on 22 December 2003.{{fact|date=September 2025}}

== Initiatives == He is the only minister in Chhattisgarh to initiate Facebook Live. He earned the sobriquet "Paaniwala Baba.". He got the IIT (the Indian Institute of Technology) campus in Bhilai. Akin to this, he is contemplating many other strategies to make Bhilai a smart city as well as a city that achieves sustainable growth.

=== "Swacchata Utsav" === He also gave vigour to the "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" campaign in Bhilai to inculcate behavioural change and to keep the environment clean. Prem Prakash Pandey being the MLA of Bhilai constituency has started (on 28 August 2016) an initiative named "Swacchhata Utsav" under which he visits a part of the constituency every Sunday in the morning with a group of followers and volunteers, where Prem Prakash Pandey and volunteers clean the streets (though symbolically) to spread the message of cleanliness. The idea is to spread the word of "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan" started by nation's prime minister Shri Narendra Modi. It has now become a big 34 weeks long campaign which contributed significantly in improving Bhilai's cleanliness index. == References == {{reflist}}

== External links == * {{Official website|premprakashpandey.in}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pandey, Prem Prakash}} Category:People from Bhilai Category:State cabinet ministers of Chhattisgarh Category:Living people Category:1958 births Category:Speakers of the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly Category:Bharatiya Janata Party politicians from Chhattisgarh Category:Chhattisgarh MLAs 2003–2008 Category:Chhattisgarh MLAs 2013–2018 Category:Pandit Ravishankar Shukla University alumni