Lieutenant general (retd) Gurmit Singh took the oath of office as the new Governor of Uttarakhand on Wednesday. The Uttarakhand High Court chief justice Raghavendra Singh Chauhan administered the oath to Singh at a function held in Raj Bhawan.

Later, in an informal interaction with the media persons, the Governor listed his priorities. He said that as the women of Uttarakhand are independent and courageous a new chapter in woman empowerment will be written by motivating the state’s daughters for Sainik schools and the National Defence Academy. He said that there is a considerable number of ex-servicemen, families and aged parents of soldiers in the state. Resolving the issues related to their health and pension along with ex-servicemen contributory health scheme (ECHS) will be among his priorities.

The Governor said that with the Char Dham shrines of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri, the maternal places of Ganga and Yamuna along with famous pilgrimages like Nanakmatta Sahib, Reetha Sahib and Hemkund Sahib, the land of Uttarakhand is sacred and to serve this sacred land is a matter of good fortune for him. He thanked the President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi for appointing him as the Governor of Uttarakhand. Referring to the natural wealth of the state, he said that there is major scope for employment and entrepreneurship in the mountains by encouraging tourism, tourism-based businesses, organic farming, Yoga- Ayurveda and cottage industries based on food processing. The current government is making good efforts in this direction and will continue to do so in the future. Singh further said that the state has two international borders, considering which connectivity, bridges, roads and tunnels for communication and transport are also important. He also paid his tributes to the gallantry award winners from Uttarakhand. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and his cabinet colleagues were also present on the occasion.