New Delhi (NVI): Girish Chandra Murmu, a senior IAS officer who has worked closely with Prime Minister Narendra Modi for over a decade and considered his confidante, was on October 25 appointed as the first Lt Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Former Chief Information Commissioner and Defence Secretary Radha Krishna Mathur was appointed as the first Lt Governor of Ladakh, according to Rashtrapati Bhavan communiqué.
The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh will come into existence on October 31, as per the central government decision approved by Parliament in August when the status of Jammu and Kashmir as a state was abolished and the state bifurcated into two UTs.
Murmu, a 1985-batch IAS officer from Gujarat cadre, is currently the Expenditure Secretary in the government of India since March this year. Previously, he was Special Secretary, Revenue, in the Ministry of Finance.
Earlier, he has served as Principal Secretary to the Gujarat Chief Minister when Modi held the post.
Murmu, who hails from Odisha, holds a Business Administration degree from the Birmingham University.
Meanwhile, Satya Pal Malik who is the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir has been transferred to Goa.
Mathur, a 1977-batch IAS officer of Tripura Cadre, retired as CIC in November 2018. Prior to that, he served as Defence Secretary from 2013 to 2015. He was also the Chief Secretary of Tripura.
