Union Territory Of Ladakh Comes Into Existence, RK Mathur Takes Oath As First Lt Governor

Radha Krishna Mathur was on Thursday sworn-in as the first Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh, which came into existence after bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir. The oath of office was administered by chief justice of Jammu and Kashmir high court Geeta Mittal at a simple function held at Leh.

Radha Krishna Mathur is a retired 1977 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Tripura cadre. The 65-year-old bureaucrat retired as the Chief Information Commissioner of India (CIC) in November 2018.

Girish Chandra Murmu has been appointed the Lieutenant Governor for Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory. The two new Lt Governors will be replacing Satya Pal Malik, who served as the 13th and last Governor of the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The State of Jammu and Kashmir has been split into two union territories - Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh - on August 5 this year after the Parliament approved the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Bill 2019. The two new union territories officially came into existence on October 31.

A day before the creation of the Union Territory of Ladakh, the government on Wednesday made senior IAS officer Umang Narula advisor to the newly appointed Lt Governor of the Himalayan region and Inspector General of Police SS Khandare as the "head of police".

Narula, a 1989-batch IAS officer, was appointed as advisor of the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh with immediate effect, according to an order issued this evening. He is, at present, posted as principal secretary to Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malilk, who has since been transferred to Goa.

Khandare, a 1995-batch IPS officer, has been appointed "Head of Police" of the Union Territory of Ladakh with effect from October 31, when the new Union territory will come into existence, as per another order.

(With PTI Inputs)