Former Lok Sabha speaker Balram Jakhar is dead

New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) Former Lok Sabha speaker and Congress veteran Balram Jakhar died here on Wednesday morning, his son Sunil Jakhar said. He was 92.

He breathed his last around 7 a.m. at his New Delhi residence. The cremation will be held at his native village Panchkosi near Punjab’s Abohar town at 11 a.m. on Thursday, said Sunil who is a former Punjab Congress Legislative Party leader.

Balram Jakhar had suffered a brain stroke a year ago. He is survived by two sons and two daughters.

He served as the speaker of Lok Sabha from 1980 to 1989 and played a key role in automation and computerisation of parliamentary works.

He was also instrumental in establishing the Parliament Museum. He served as the union agriculture minister in prime minister P.V Narasimha Rao-led Congress government. He was also the Madhya Pradesh governor from June 30, 2004 to May 30, 2009.