Sriballav Panigrahi (2 September 1940 – 9 July 2015) was an Indian politician, a leader of the Indian National Congress party in Odisha and was a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). He was elected to the Parliament of India from the Deogarh Lok Sabha constituency, three times, 1984, 1991 and 1996. Biography Born into a freedom fighter's family at Bargaon, Sambalpur district, Odisha in 1940, he has held various positions in the party as well in the government. He was thrice elected as a Member of Parliament (Lok Sabha) from the Deogarh Parliamentary Constituency (1984, 1991 & 1996) and was also a Member of the Odisha Legislative Assembly for two terms (1971 & 1974). He was a Cabinet Minister in Odisha from 1973 to 1977 (widely believed to be the youngest Cabinet Minister in India at that time). He is regarded as an honest and straightforward politician. He is also known as 'Mr. Clean' in Odisha political circles for having a squeaky clean reputation. Good oratory skills, austere lifestyle and simple demeanour are seen as hallmarks of his personality. In his hometown, he is widely believed to be the person who was responsible for the establishment of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) at Sambalpur. He is also credited with getting the Railway Division for Sambalpur City. Political career Congress Party He joined the party during his student days and rose quickly within its ranks, was made the District Congress Committee (DCC) President of Sambalpur District in 1967 while he was just 27 years old. This made him the youngest DCC president in the country. He has been in the party all through and has held several positions within the party. He was a member of the All India Congress Committee (AICC). Organisational responsibilities General Secretary, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) (1969-74 & 1977-80) Vice President, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (1992–95) AICC observer for elections: Assam-1985, 2002 Tamil Nadu-1988 Madhya Pradesh-1994 Chhatishgarh-1999 & 2004 Membership of AICC Committees: Member of AICC Committee to probe into the causes and circumstances of the debacle of the party in Punjab Assembly Elections (1997) Member of the AICC team to enquire into the communal disturbances in Rae Barielly (U.P.) in 1994 Member of the AICC team to enquire into the communal disturbances in Ajmer (Rajasthan) in 1996 Pradesh Returning Officer (PRO)-cum-Chairman State Election Authority for organizational election in Gujarat in 2006-07 Pradesh Returning