Radha Krishna Mathur takes oath as first LG of Union Territory Ladakh

Radha Krishna Mathur on Thursday took oath as the first Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh.

Mathur, a retired 1977-batch IAS officer from Tripura cadre retired as the Chief Information Commissioner of India in November 2018.

He served as expenditure secretary at the Centre before getting appointed as Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.

Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court Geeta Mittal administered the oath to Mathur.In August this year, the government revoked Article 370 which gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir and also bifurcated the state into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.An order in the Gazette of India dated October 31signed by President Ram Nath Kovind stated that all the functions of the Government of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and all the powers vested in or exercisable by the Lieutenant Governor of Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.

"In pursuance of sub-clause (i) of clause (c) of the Proclamation issued on this, the 31st October, 2019, by me under section 73 of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 read with articles 239 and 239A of the Constitution and of all other powers enabling me in that behalf, I hereby direct that all the functions of the Government of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir and all the powers vested in or exercisable by the Lieutenant Governor of Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019 or under any law in force in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, which have been assumed by the President by virtue of clause (a) of the said Proclamation, shall, subject to the superintendence, direction and control of the President, be exercisable also by the Lieutenant Governor of Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir," read the notification.

Later in the day, Girish Chandra Murmu, a 1985-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Gujarat cadre will take oath as the first Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.