Manipur bids farewell to its governor

The Manipur government Friday accorded a ceremonial farewell to outgoing Governor Vinod Kumar Duggal, who submitted his resignation to President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi Thursday.

A farewell function was held at the Imphal Raj Bhavan where Chief Minister Okram Ibobi Singh, his cabinet colleagues, top officials and party leaders were present.

Former home secretary Duggal, who holds additional charge of the governor of Mizoram as well, told reporters here: "I have submitted my resignation to the president on my own will." He returned here Friday from New Delhi.

The 69-year-old IAS officer became the governor of the Manipur in December 2013. He served as the home secretary from 2005 to 2007 and also served the Indian Army as a captain until 1971, before he joined the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).

After the Narendra Modi government took charge May 26, many governors have resigned. They include: B.L. Joshi (Uttar Pradesh), Shekhar Dutt (Chhattisgarh), M.K. Narayanan (West Bengal), B.V. Wanchoo (Goa), Vakkom B. Purushothaman (Mizoram), Sheila Dikshit (Kerala), K. Sankaranarayanan (Maharashtra) and others.

Earlier 87-year-old Mizoram governor Kamla Beniwal, who had a strained relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was the Gujarat chief minister and she the state's governor, was sacked two months before her tenure comes to an end.