Former Home Secretary VK Duggal appointed Manipur Governor

NEW DELHI: Vinod Kumar Duggal, former Union Home Secretary, was appointed as Governor of Manipur, a post which was being looked after by Nagaland Governor Ashwani Kumar.

Being the first IAS officer from Union Territory cadre, 68-year-old Duggal of 1968 batch was Home Secretary from March 2005 to April one, 2007.

A communique from Rashtrapati Bhavan said President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Vinod Kumar Duggal as the Governor of Manipur "with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office."

The post of Manipur Governor had fallen vacant in July this year when former Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief Gurbachan Singh Jagat's tenure of five years had ended.

Nagaland Governor Ashwani Kumar was given the additional charge till Duggal appointment.

A serving member Member of National Disaster Management Authority in the rank and status of Union Minister of State, Duggal was in charge of relief operations after the natural disaster that had struck Uttrakhand and Orissa recently.

After his retirement as Union Home Secretary in March 2007, he has been a Member of other Commissions and Committees in the rank and status of Minister of State.

He has served in various capacities during his tenure in the government services which included Municipal Commissioner of Delhi from 1996 to 2000, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Secretary in Water Resources Ministry.