Former Union minister Manoj Sinha has been appointed as the next Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir by President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday. Manoj Sinha will replace Girish Chandra Murmu who resigned on Wednesday.
According to the reports, the Rashtrapati Bhavan communique on Thursday said, “The President has accepted the resignation of Girish Chandra Murmu as Lieutenant-Governor of Jammu and Kashmir.”
It also announced that “The President has been pleased to appoint Shri Manoj Sinha to be the Lieutenant-Governor of Jammu and Kashmir with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office vice Shri Girish Chandra Murmu.”
Earlier, Manoj Sinha had held the Railways portfolio as a Minister of State in the first Modi government. Manoj Sinha was also in charge of the Telecom ministry under the Modi government. The BJP leader has been a 3-time MP. He had lost the 2019 general elections from the Ghazipur constituency to BSP’s Afzal Ansari.
Lt. Governor GC Murmu appointed as the CAG
Manoj Sinha will assume charge as the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir after the incumbent Lt. Gov GC Murmu resigned from his post on the first anniversary of abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. Lt. Gov GC Murmu sent his resignation letter to the Centre on Wednesday evening and has vacated his post immediately.
Murmu, who is a 1985-batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre, was appointed as the first Lt.Gov of Jammu and Kashmir last October after the formation of the new Union Territory under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019.
As per a report in Times of India, GC Murmu has been appointed as the new Comptroller and Auditor General of India. Murmu will be replacing Rajeev Mehrishi, a 1978 batch IAS officer. Mehrishi had also met the President at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on August 4, the details of his next appointment are yet to be released.
