Former Speaker Balram Jakhar passes away

Veteran Congress leader Balram Jakhar passed away today. Jakhar, 92, was a farmer leader who became a household name during his stint as the Speaker of the Lok Sabha from 1980 to 1989. He was also the agriculture minister in the PV Narasimha Rao government and was later the Governor of Madhya Pradesh during the tenure of UPA 1 government.

His stint as the Speaker, the longest ever for any occupant of the chair till date, witnessed several changes in the working of the Lok Sabha. His contribution to improvements in the Parliament library, reference, and documentation and information service for the use of Members of Parliament is still remembered.

Born on August 23, 1923 at Panjkosi village in Ferozepur district of Punjab, Jakhar graduated from a college in Lahore before the partition.