Om Prakash Mathur, BJP's Rajasthan veteran and former RSS pracharak, named new Sikkim Governor
Jaipur: Om Prakash Mathur, a veteran BJP leader from Rajasthan, has been appointed as the new Governor of Sikkim. Mathur, who has served as the party's state president and a Rajya Sabha MP, announced his retirement from active politics following this appointment to the constitutional post.
The 72-year-old leader hails from Bali in Rajasthan's Pali district and has a background as a pracharak of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the BJP's ideological parent. Mathur was mentored by former Vice President and BJP leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat and has also been the general secretary in-charge of Gujarat BJP. Known for his organizational skills and strategic acumen, Mathur played a significant role in the BJP's return to power in Chhattisgarh last year. He was also considered a potential Chief Minister candidate in Rajasthan before the party chose Bhajanlal Sharma for the position.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma congratulated Mathur on his new role, expressing confidence in his leadership. "I firmly believe your able guidance and leadership will put Sikkim on the path of good governance and set new standards," Sharma said in a post on X.
As Mathur assumes his new role, the outgoing Governor of Sikkim, Lakshman Prasad Acharya, has been appointed as the Governor of Assam with additional charge of Manipur.
President Droupadi Murmu has announced several other gubernatorial appointments:
- Gulab Chand Kataria, Governor of Assam, has been appointed as the Governor of Punjab and the Administrator of the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
- Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde has been appointed as the Governor of Rajasthan.
- Jishnu Dev Varma has been appointed as the Governor of Telangana.
- Santosh Kumar Gangwar has been appointed as the Governor of Jharkhand.
- Raman Deka has been named as the Governor of Chhattisgarh.
- CH Vijayashankar has been appointed as the Governor of Meghalaya.
- CP Radhakrishnan, the current Governor of Jharkhand with additional charge of Telangana, has been appointed as the Governor of Maharashtra.
These appointments will take effect from the dates the appointees assume charge of their respective offices, according to an official release.
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Separate nodal officer in all districts to prevent female foeticides in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
