Manoj Sinha, a former union minister, on Friday took oath as the Lieutenant Governor of the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Sinha was appointed to the post on Thursday, a day after Girish Chandra Murmu stepped down from the post.
Sinha is the second L-G of Jammu and Kashmir after it became a union territory last year. Murmu stepped down from the post on August 5 – the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370. He has now been appointed as the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.
While Murmu was an IAS officer, Sinha brings to the Kashmir Valley with him years of political experience.
After taking charge as the L-G of J&K today, 61-year-old Sinha, who is known for his connect with the people, said that no one will face any discrimination in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the aim of the administration would be to take development forward in the newly-carved UT.
“Kashmir is heaven of India. I’ve been given an opportunity to play a role here. 5th August is an important date; after years of isolation, Jammu and Kashmir came to the mainstream. Several projects started here after years. My priority is to take those projects forward,” Sinha said.
“There won’t be any bias against anyone. Constitutional powers will be used for the people’s welfare. I assure the people that their genuine grievances will be listened to and we will try to find a way to the solution. It is my aim to take forward the development here,” he added.
Sinha was administered the oath of office by J&K Chief Justice Gita Mittal at a simple function in the Raj Bhavan.