Principal Correspondent
KOHIMA, JULY 19
OCTOGENARIAN Padmanabha Balakrishna Acharya was sworn in as the 19th Governor of Nagaland today.
The new governor was sworn in by Justice PK Saikia of Guwahati High Court at a glittering function at the Raj Bhawan this evening. The Chief Minister TR Zeliang, Member of Lok Sabha Neiphiu Rio, a galaxy of Cabinet Ministers, BJP Nagaland Unit President Dr M Chuba Ao, NPF president Dr Shurhozelie, senior bureaucrats, police and army officers of the state all attended the ceremony.
Nagaland Chief Secretary Banuo Z Jamir read out the warrant of appointment.
Popular known as PB Acharya, the man hold additional chage as Governor Tripura.
Acharya is a veteran in the RSS, BJP and ABVP cadres and is the first person from a GSB community to achieve the coveted post.
Acharya was serving as the BJP National Secretary during the period 1995-2000 when the present prime minister Narendra Modi was the BJP National General Secretary. Achary was then the in-charge of party affairs for states in the north east.
He was a first batch student (1948-50) of Udupi MGM College, and later served as a teacher in the Vidyarayna School at Kadabettu. He joined the RSS at an early age and even underwent imprisonment for six months in 1948 when the then government had banned RSS.
After his graduation, Acharya moved to Mumbai where he was engaged in business and was also the Senate Member of Mumbai University for 30 years. He has also served as National President of ABVP.
Acharya whose mother tongue is Konkani is also well versed in Tulu, Kannada, English, Hindi and other languages.
The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee issued the appointment of Acharya as the Governor of Nagaland with additional charge on July 14, 2014.
Meghalaya Governor KK Paul had assumed the additional charge of Nagaland on July 2 while Governor of Mizoram Vakkom Purushothaman was transferred to Nagaland. But, he resigned on July 11 without even arriving here stating that the NDA government had not consulted him while making the transfer. The gubernatorial post was vacant following the resignation of governor Ashwani Kumar on June 26.
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