Srinagar, June 24
The Centre’s interlocutor on Kashmir and former union home secretary, N.N. Vohra is being sworn in as the new Governor of Jammu and Kashmir here tomorrow. His warrant of appointment was issued by the President on June 11 as the 12th Governor of the state, replacing Lt.-Gen (Retd) S.K. Sinha.
Vohra would be administered oath of office by Chief Justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court Justice S.K. Radhakrishnan at Raj Bhawan tomorrow, officials here said.
The Chief Justice arrived here this afternoon for administering oath to the new Governor, about a week before the High Court reopens after summer vacations on Monday next. These courts were off for three weeks’ summer vacations with effect from June 9.
Official sources here said the outgoing Governor, S.K. Sinha, would be leaving here tomorrow after the completion of his five year term. His tenure was fraught with controversies, mainly related to the Amarnath Yatra, first due to its duration and then over the transfer of 800 kanals of forest land to the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) for yatra purposes.
The land controversy has recently hit the relations between Raj Bhawan and the coalition partners, the PDP and the Congress, while
resentment and protests have been continuing in Kashmir over the issue during the past few weeks. The Governor in Jammu and Kashmir also remains as the Chairman of the SASB that was constituted in 2000 under the National Conference regime.
The state administration is fully geared up for the event tomorrow that is being attended among others by the Chief Minister, his ministerial colleagues, legislators and senior civil and police officers. The invitees also include the Parliamentarians and former chief ministers Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and Farooq Abdullah.
