Former J&K Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu Appointed As New Comptroller And Auditor General

Murmu's resignation as Jammu & Kashmir LG came exactly a year after Home Minister Amit Shah announced of revoking Article 370 and Article 35A from Jammu and Kashmir.

(File Photo/ AFP)

New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant-Governor (LG) Girish Chandra Murmu has been appointed as the new Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India. Murmu's appointment as CAG came exactly a day after he resigned as the first Lieutenant-Governor of the new Union Territory (UT) Jammu and Kashmir. Official sources told news agency IANS that Murmu has resigned as the Lt Governor even though there was no confirmation about who his replacement will be in the highly sensitive Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Murmu has replaced Rajiv Mehrishi, a 1978 batch IAS officer of the Rajasthan cadre, as the CAG. A 1985 batch IAS officer of the Gujarat cadre, Murmu was Principal Secretary to Narendra Modi when he was Chief Minister of Gujarat. "The President has been pleased to appoint Shri Girish Chandra Murmu to be the Comptroller and Auditor General of India with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office," a notification by the Department of Economic Affairs said. ASLO READ | Jammu & Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Girish Murmu Resigns On Article 370 Abrogation Anniversary: Reports Earlier in the day, President Ram Nath Kovind accepted Murmu's resignation as the Lt Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. Former Union Minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader from Uttar Pradesh Manoj Sinha was appointed in his place. The 61-year-old, who is known for his massive connect with the people of rural areas, comes in place of former IAS officer Girish Chandra Murmu who hurriedly tendered his resignation on Wednesday night. Murmu's resignation as Jammu & Kashmir LG came  exactly a year after Home Minister Amit Shah announced of revoking Article 370 and Article 35A from Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two Union territories as J&K and Ladakh. August 5 marked the completion of one year of the abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370. Murmu took oath as the first lieutenant governor of Jammu and Kashmir, following the official notification about the creation of the two union territories. A 1985 batch IAS officer from Gujarat, Murmu was principal secretary to Narendra Modi during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat. Murmu is one of the youngest governors in the country who was administered the oath of office by Jammu and Kashmir Chief Justice Gita Mittal at a ceremony held at Raj Bhawan at the foothills of Zeberwan range.