Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat assumed additional charge as Governor of Maharashtra on Monday after being sworn in at a ceremony held at Raj Bhavan, Mumbai. Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court, Justice Chandrashekhar, administered the oath of office.
Devvrat took the oath in Sanskrit. The ceremony was attended by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, ministers, senior bureaucrats, and other dignitaries.
According to President’s Office, Devvrat will hold additional charge of the Maharashtra Governor while continuing his duties as the Governor of Gujarat.
His appointment follows the demitting of office by C.P. Radhakrishnan, who stepped down after being elected Vice President of India.
“Consequent upon the demitting of the office of the Governor of Maharashtra by C.P. Radhakrishnan due to his election as the Vice President of India, the President of India has appointed Acharya Devvrat, Governor of Gujarat, to discharge the functions of the Governor of Maharashtra in addition to his own duties,” the President’s Office said.
Devvrat, accompanied by his wife Darshana Devi, travelled from Ahmedabad to Mumbai on Sunday morning aboard the Tejas Express.
A veteran educationist, Devvrat has over 45 years of experience in teaching and administration.
He previously served as Governor of Himachal Pradesh from August 12, 2015 to July 21, 2019, during which he actively promoted programmes on natural farming, cow protection and breed improvement, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter), social harmony, addiction eradication, tree plantation, and water conservation.
On July 22, 2019, he was appointed Governor of Gujarat. Under his leadership, Gujarat became a pioneer in natural farming, with more than 5,00,000 farmers shifting from chemical-based farming to natural methods. His efforts have also encouraged the adoption of natural farming practices in other states, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision.
(IANS)