GUWAHATI:
Gulab Chand Kataria has been sworn in as the 31st Governor of Assam at a ceremony held at Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra in Guwahati on February 22.
Chief Justice Gauhati High Court Justice Sandeep Mehta administered the oath of office to the new Governor.
“It is an honour to take the oath of office of the Governor of a beautiful state like Assam at a place named after the greatest Vaishnavite Saint Srimanta Sankardev who is greatly responsible for the socio-cultural and spiritual opulence of Assam. I have sworn to serve the ideals of the Indian Constitution and dedicate my life to serving and promoting the interests of the people of Assam,” Kataria said.
“I will certainly carry out my responsibilities by the Constitution with utmost honesty and sincerity. I hope the people of the State will render their maximum support to the office of the Governor to aid the all-around growth of the state.
“I convey my heartfelt gratitude to the Hon’ble President Smt. Droupadi Murmu ji and Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji for choosing me for this cardinal position to serve the people of Assam,” he added.
Kataria was the home minister of Rajasthan from May 31, 2004 to December 8, 2008 and again from 2015 to 2018.
He was a senior leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from Rajasthan and was also a member of the central working committee of the party.
Kataria hails from Udaipur and represented it in 9th Lok Sabha, from 1989-1991. He was also the leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly from August 24, 2002 to December 2003, again from February 21, 2013 to December 10, 2013, and from January 17, 2019 to 2023 till his appointment as the Governor.
Kataria also served as the education minister of the state from 1993 to 1998. He also served as public works department Minister from December 8, 2003 to May 30, 2004 and panchayati and rural development, disaster management and relief department minister from 2013 to 2015.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended the ceremony and congratulated Kataria on assuming the highest constitutional post of Assam and wished that under his leadership the state government would accelerate the growth momentum from all sections of the people.
First lady of Assam Anita Kataria, speaker of Assam Legislative Assembly Biswajit Daimary, Union MoS for social justice and empowerment Ramdas Athawale, and other ministers of the state, including health minister Keshab Mahanta, panchayat and rural development minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass, agriculture minister Atul Bora, finance minister Ajanta Neog, power minister Nandita Gorlosa, tourism minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, forest minister Parimal Shuklabaidya, handloom and textile minister UG Brahma, cultural affairs minister Bimal Bora, MP Queen Oja, BTC chief Pramod Boro were also present at the swearing-in ceremony.
State chief secretary Paban Kumar Borthakur and a number of senior officers of the administration both civil and police were present at the swearing-in ceremony.
Before taking charge as the Governor Kataria visited Kamakhya Temple and offered puja to goddess Kamakhya for the welfare of all sections of the people of the state.