SRINAGAR: Senior National Conference leader Mubarak Gul was today unanimously elected as Speaker of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly on the opening day of the month-long Budget Session in winter capital Jammu.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah moved the motion that Gul, a member of the House be chosen as the Speaker of the Assembly, which was seconded by the Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand.
The house then okayed him as the news speaker. Mubarak Gul served as the chief Minister’s advisor before the recent reshuffle in the portfolios.
Gul’s predecessor as speaker, Muhammad Akbar lone is now minister for higher education.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, ministers and other members of the House, congratulated Gul after assuming the chair.
“The Government was keen to solve the problems of the people of the State, saying that maximum public interest issues will be highlighted in the House during the Budget Session,” said Gul later at a function organized by Jammu and Kashmir Rural Development Society (JKRDS) to felicitate him.
He said legislator of all parties would be given adequate time to highlight the issues of their constituencies and that of general public.
The speaker added that there will be no compromise on wrong replies, if any, furnished by the departments and those responsible for the lapse would be dealt seriously.
He hoped that the legislators of all parties “would cooperate in conducting the proceedings of the house in a cordial atmosphere”.
