Konwar sworn in as Bihar governor

Former Assam minister Debananda Konwar was on Monday sworn in as the governor of Bihar. Patna High Court's acting Chief Justice Shiva Kirti Singh administered the oath of office and secrecy to Konwar at a simple function at Rajbhavan's Darbar Hall. Konwar, 63, whose appointment as the state governor was notified by the Rashtrapati Bhavan on June 24, succeeds R L Bhatia whose tenure ended last week.

A four-time MLA and a former finance minister in the Tarun Gogoi-led ministry of Assam, Konwar took oath in Hindi. Chief minister Nitish Kumar, Assembly Speaker Uday Narayan Choudahry, Legislative Council acting chairman Arun Kumar, deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, several ministers and top bureaucrats attended the swearing-in ceremony. Several relatives and friends of Konwar had also arrived from Assam for the occasion. Some Congress leaders were also present to greet him.

Later, the new governor and his wife joined Nitish and other dignitaries for high tea. Nitish said the appointment of Konwar was a good sign for better relations between Assam and Bihar. "The governor is now a Bihari and he will certainly be of great help in maintaining cordial relations between the two states," he said wishing Konwar success.