Former fire services minister Pratim Chatterjee passes away

Former West Bengal minister Pratim Chatterjee, who held the Fire Services portfolio for 15 years till 2011, passed away today, family sources said.

Chatterjee, president of Left Front constituent Marxist Forward Bloc, was suffering from breathing trouble and had undergone treatment at a private hospital in Salt Lake for a month and was released from there on March 14, his son-in-law Dibyojyoti Ghosh said.

"He complained of uneasiness this morning and was admitted to the same facility, where he died of a cardiac arrest at 10.15 am," Ghosh said.

The former minister, a widower, is survived by a daughter, Kuheli Ghosh.

Chatterjee, who represented Tarakeswar Assembly constituency, was the state Fire Services minister during the Left Front regime from 1996 to 2011.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said she was saddened at the passing away of Chatterjee.

"Condolences to his family and well-wishers," Banerjee said in a tweet.