The first Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory of Ladakh, Radha Krishna Mathur took oath on October 31 at Sindhu Sanskriti hall, Leh. The oath was administered by Chief Justice of Jammu and Kashmir High Court, Geeta Mittal.

Commissioner Secretary to the Government, Ladakh Affairs Department, Rigzin Samphel read the warrant of appointment issued by Ram Nath Kovind, President of India.

Lieutenant Governor, Radha Krishna Mathur while addressing the media said, “The priorities to work upon will be determined only after talking to the Hill Council’s, intellectuals and public.”
He said that the government is already implementing several programmes in the region but the aspiration of the people of Ladakh is the prime thing that will be focused upon. 

Radha Krishna Mathur is a retired 1977 batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of Tripura cadre. He has served the Tripura government as Chief Secretary of Tripura, Principal Secretary of Finance, and Principal Secretary of Agriculture. He retired as the Chief Information Commissioner of India (CIC) in November 2018.

He was Defence Secretary at the centre before his appointment as Lieutenant Governor.

Expressing happiness and joy over the official declaration of UT Ladakh, the torchbearer of the UT movement, Thupstan Chhewang, Former MP said, “The demand for the status of UT Ladakh struggled all those years by the people from all walks of life unitedly is fulfilled today. With this greater responsibility lies upon everyone to make UT Ladakh a progressive and better one”.

He said that the unity of Ladakh is important to project demand and make the system work for a better future. 

Marking the historic day, leaders of BJP and common masses danced and celebrated the new UT Ladakh which will be ruled directly from the centre.

Celebrating the official declaration of UT Ladakh along with National Unity Day, the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhai Patel, Bharatiya Janta Party, Leh organised a rally themed ‘Run for Unity’.

The state of Jammu and Kashmir was divided into two Union territories, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on August 5.