Ex-West Bengal minister Biswanath Chowdhury dies at 82

Kolkata, Jul 27 (PTI) Former West Bengal minister Biswanath Chowdhury died at a state-run hospital in Kolkata on Saturday morning, officials said.

Chowdhury, 82, was battling cancer, they said.

"He was admitted to the SSKM Hospital last week, and he breathed his last at 6.42 am today," an official said.

Chowdhury, a leader of the Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP), was the MLA of Balurghat in Dakshin Dinajpur district for seven terms.

He was the minister for jails and social welfare from 1987 to 2011.

RSP's general secretary Manoj Bhattacharya said Chowdhury's mortal remains would be taken to Balurghat for final rites. PTI SCH SOM