Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of India P. Sathasivam will be sworn in as the Governor of Kerala on Friday.
Acting Chief Justice of the Kerala High Court Ashok Bhushan will administer the oath of office at a function to be held at the Raj Bhavan at 9 a.m.
Guard of honour
Mr. Sathasivam, who arrived here on Thursday afternoon, was accorded a warm reception at the air force technical area of the airport here with a guard of honour. Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, Speaker G. Karthikeyan, Ministers, and higher officials of the government, the army, and the air force received him with bouquets.
Earlier, in the morning, outgoing Governor Sheila Dikshit was given a send-off at the airport. The Governor inspected a guard of honour by the Kerala Police in the technical area. She was seen off to New Delhi by the Chief Minister, the Speaker, and others.
Before leaving for New Delhi, Ms. Dikshit conveyed her Onam greetings to the people of Kerala and Malayalis the world over.
“Onam reflects the golden memories of a glorious past when everyone enjoyed plenty in an endearing ambience of equality. It thrives on the hopes and aspirations of a land and its people to ring in a future of enduring peace, progress, and prosperity.
“I am extremely happy to extend my greetings and good wishes to one and all on this auspicious occasion,” she said.
‘Will strengthen ties’
M.K. Ananth writes from Coimbatore:
Mr. Sathasivam told presspersons at the Coimbatore airport on Thursday that his appointment as Governor of Kerala would benefit that State. “I will build the relationship between the State and the Centre,” he said. “My appointment will benefit that State,” he said.
He said that he was neither a politician nor had he supported any political party. He said that with his 19 years’ judicial experience, he would serve for the welfare of the State. He was here to board a flight to Chennai from where he was flying to Thiruvananthapuram.
