Shimla: On the 40th statehood day, Urmila Singh was sworn in as the 23rd Governor of Himachal at a impressive ceremony held at the Raj Bhawan, here today.
Acting chief justice RB Mishra administered the oath of office to the new governor. Earlier Asha Swaroop, chief secretary read out the warrant issued by President Pratibha Patil appointing Urmila Singh as the governor.
Speaking to media persons after the ceremony, the new governor said that though she had been to Himachal earlier but this happened to be her first visit to Shimla.
Among those attended the swearing-in ceremony included chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, PWD minister Thakur Gulab Singh, forest minister JP Nadda, leader of the opposition Vidya Stokes, state congress president Kaul Singh Thakur, judges of the high court and senior government officials.
The governors position fell vacant after Prabha Rau, who had served as governor for less than two years here, was shifted as governor of Rajasthan.
Urmila Singh, who hails from Madya Pradesh, was born into a family of freedom fighters of Gondwana in Raipur district of Chhattisgarh.
Prior to being appointed governor, she was the chairperson of the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes from June 2007 to Jan 2010. Singh from 1998-2003 was the minister in the Madhya Pradesh government and has remained a legislator of the state assembly from 1985 to 2003.
It was on 25th January, 1971, that the Himachal Pradesh was pronounced as the full state of the Indian union.
(Photo By Amit Kanwar)
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads the team of media professionals at Hill Post.
In a career spanning over two decades through all formats of journalism in Electronic, Print and Online Media, he brings with him enough experience to steer this platform. He lives in Shimla.
