New Delhi, January 19
Former Director of Intelligence Bureau E. S. L. Narasimhan and former Kerala Finance minister K. Shankaranaryanan have been appointed the Governors of Nagaland and Chhattisgarh, respectively. A Rashtrapati Bhavan communique issued today said that Mr Narasimhan's gubernatorial assignment would take effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.
Mr Shankaranarayanan will take over as the constitutional head of Nagaland after the term of office of the present Governor
Shyamal Dutta expires next week on January 27.
President Abdul Kalam has also appointed Meghalaya Governor M. M. Jacob to discharge the functions of the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh during the absence of S. Kumar Singh, who is on leave.
Sources said Mr Narasimhan was originally to take charge of Raj Bhavan in Nagaland but had expressed his reservations. He was subsequently moved to Chattisgarh.
A former leader of the Congress-led United Democratic Front in Kerala, Mr Sankaranarayanan, had been informed on telephone that he was being appointed as the Governor of Nagaland.
The appointment of Governors was being awaited for quite sometime. Several other states continue to be without a constitutional
head. Raj Bhavan in Andhra Pradesh has remained vacant since Sushil Kumar Shinde was made the Power Minister in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Cabinet. The Governor's post in Karnataka will fall vacant shortly when T N Chaturvedi completes his term in Raj Bhavan in Bangalore.
Raj Bhavans in Tripura, Sikkim, Meghalaya and Mizoram will also be requiring new occupants in due course and there are indications that the Lt Governor of Delhi and the Governor of Haryana might be changed.
