New legislators sworn in, KN Rai elected Speaker

GANGTOK, 28 May: Poklok-Kamrang MLA, KN Rai, was elected the Speaker of the Sikkim Legislative Assembly today while pro-tem Speaker, Sonam Gyatso Lepcha, has been elected Deputy Speaker.
The first session of the Ninth Legislative Assembly began at 11 AM this morning and lasted for one hour following the election of the Speaker of the house.
To begin with, the pro-tem Speaker administered the oath of affirmation to the newly elected members of Sikkim Legislative Assembly. Dr. Mechung Bhutia of Sikkim Krantikari Morcha who is the Martam Rumtek MLA was absent and will take oath later.
The oath was administered by the pro tem Speaker to the Leader of the House Pawan Chamling followed by other members.
The Ninth Legislative Assembly unanimously elected Poklok-Kamrang MLA Kedarnath Rai as Speaker and Dzongu MLA Sonam Gyatso Lepcha as Deputy Speaker of the house. Both the names were proposed by Minister Ugen Gyatso Bhutia and seconded by DT Lepcha.
After being elected Speaker of the House, Mr. Rai expressed his gratitude to members of the house for unanimously electing him as Speaker and assured that he will uphold the dignity and integrity of the Chair of Speaker without any bias. He added that he will take both the treasury bench and opposition together for smooth functioning of the house in the next five years.
Similarly, Deputy Speaker, Mr Lepcha also thanked members of the Legislative Assembly and said that he will perform his duties with utmost dignity and integrity upholding the dignity of the chair in the absence of the Speaker of the house.
The Speaker also announced the election and nomination of the following assembly committees for 2014-15. The Public Accounts Committee has Bek Bahadur Rai as Chairman and Chandra Maya Subba as Member while the Estimates Committee has Ms Subba as Chairperson and Mr. BB Rai as Member.
Committee on Government Assurance has Sonam Dadul Bhutia as Chairman with KS Lepcha and Tilu Gurung as Members. House Committee has KS Lepcha as Chairman with DN Sherpa and Chandra Maya Subba as Members. Library Committee has the Dy. Speaker as Ex-officio Chairman with KS Lepcha and Chandra Maya Subba as Members. Committee on Rules has the Speaker as Ex-officio Chairman with Tilu Gurung and DN Sherpa as Members.
The Speaker nominated Ugen N Bhutia, Sonam Lama and Shyam Pradhan as panel of Chairman for the year 2014-2015.
Later, after the Assembly was adjourned by the Speaker the Chief Minister, in a simple function organized at the Assembly premises administered the oath of Office to the four Parliamentary Secretaries viz. Tilu Gurung for Energy & Power Department, Sonam Dadul Bhutia for Rural Management and Development Department, DN Sherpa for Tourism and Civil Aviation Department and KS Lepcha for Roads and Bridges Department.