Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla was on Monday sworn in as the 22nd governor of Nagaland at a function held at Raj Bhavan here. Bhalla has been given the additional charge, following the demise of Governor La Ganesan.
Bhalla was administered the oath of office by Chief Justice of the Gauhati High Court, Justice Ashutosh Kumar.
The oath-taking ceremony was attended by Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio, Deputy Chief Ministers TR Zeliang and Y Patton, several state ministers, MLAs, senior bureaucrats and other dignitaries.
After taking the oath, Bhalla held his first interaction with the state cabinet led by Rio at Raj Bhavan. He also inspected a ceremonial guard of honour as part of the swearing-in ceremony.
The programme, chaired by Chief Secretary Sentiyanger Imchen, concluded with a reception at Raj Bhavan, where political leaders, tribal bodies, church representatives, and civil society organisations extended greetings to the new constitutional head of the state.
Of the 17 major tribes in Nagaland, members of a committee on Review of Reservation Policy (CoRRP) – representing the Ao, Angami, Lotha, Rengma, and Sumi tribes – did not participate in the function.
The panel has been pressing for a review of the more than four-decade-old job reservation policy for backward tribes in the state.
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The government has accepted the demand and announced the constitution of a Reservation Review Commission, but the committee has rejected it.
The committee insisted that representatives of tribal bodies and civil society organisations should be included in the commission.
The panel announced that it would not participate in all government functions until its demand is fulfilled.
The five tribes had also boycotted the Independence Day celebrations this month.
