PANAJI: Former Union Civil Aviation Minister and senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Ashok Gajapathi Raju has been appointed as the new Governor of Goa, replacing PS Sreedharan Pillai. The appointment was confirmed through a communiqué issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Born into the royal Pusapati family of Vizianagaram in Andhra Pradesh, Raju is a seven-time MLA with a long political career at both the state and national levels. He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 2014 and served as Union Civil Aviation Minister in the first Modi cabinet, where he was instrumental in launching the UDAN regional connectivity scheme, pushing for new airport projects such as those in Rajamahendravaram and Kadapa, and instituting a no-fly list for unruly passengers. He resigned from the cabinet over the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh.
Welcoming the appointment, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant hailed Raju as a "seasoned statesman" with vast administrative and parliamentary experience. "His guidance will be invaluable as we continue our journey towards Viksit Goa 2037," the Chief Minister said, expressing confidence that Raju’s leadership will help further the State’s development goals.
PS Sreedharan Pillai, who took charge as Governor of Goa on July 15, 2021, has not been assigned a new post. A former Mizoram Governor, Pillai succeeded Bhagat Singh Koshyari, who had held additional charge of Goa since August 2020 following the transfer of Satya Pal Malik.
In other gubernatorial appointments, Kavinder Gupta has been named the new Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, filling the vacancy left by BD Mishra’s resignation. Professor Ashim Kumar Ghosh has been appointed as the new Governor of Haryana.
