Shimla: Kavinder Gupta was sworn in as the new Governor of Himachal Pradesh at a ceremony held at Lok Bhavan on Tuesday.
The oath of office and secrecy was administered by Justice Gurmeet Singh Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court. Gupta took the oath in Hindi.
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, and Ashim Kumar Ghosh, Governor of Haryana, were among the dignitaries present at the ceremony.
For the first time at Lok Bhavan, the ceremony began with the singing of Vande Mataram, followed by the National Anthem. Vande Mataram was also sung again after the oath-taking ceremony concluded. The newly sworn-in Governor was presented with a Guard of Honour on the occasion.
Earlier, Chief Secretary Sanjay Gupta read out the warrant of appointment issued by the President of India. Secretary to the Governor C. P. Verma then obtained the Governor’s signature on the charge certificate, completing the formal process of assuming office.
Later, interacting with media persons, the Governor expressed gratitude to the President of India for appointing him to the constitutional office. He said that he would work strictly in accordance with the Constitution and maintain close coordination with the State Government. “The office of the Governor is a constitutional responsibility. The Governor does not belong to any political party and works for the overall development of the State and society,” he said.
Gupta said that he would strive to carry forward the initiatives started by previous Governors and would seek the cooperation of the Chief Minister and the State Government in completing them on priority. He said that Himachal Pradesh is a leading state in the field of education and said that he would focus on improving the quality of education in the State.
Referring to his earlier experience as Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, he said that the geographical conditions of Himachal Pradesh are similar to those of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. “During my tenure in Ladakh, I travelled more than 10,000 kilometres within seven months. I am familiar with the challenges of hilly regions”. He said that the hospitality of the people of Himachal Pradesh had deeply impressed him.
Highlighting his priorities, the Governor said he would work towards promoting environmental protection, particularly enhancing the State’s green cover, preserving cultural heritage and strengthening tourism with special emphasis on religious tourism. He also stressed the importance of quality education, skill development and the effective implementation of the National Education Policy by integrating Indian values with modern education.
He said that special attention would also be given to tribal development, promotion of natural farming, youth welfare and strengthening the ongoing campaign against drug abuse. Efforts would also be made to ensure that central schemes are effectively implemented to improve infrastructure and connectivity in remote areas of the State.
The Governor further said that initiatives such as education, value-based learning and counselling would be strengthened to make the campaign for a drug-free Himachal more effective. He said that sports initiatives like Khelo India could also be linked with such efforts to engage the youth positively.
Gupta also emphasised the importance of development in border areas adjoining China and said that schemes like the Vibrant Village Programme would be promoted. He further said that special efforts would be made to achieve the goal of tuberculosis elimination in the State.
