Formerbureaucrat Radha Krishna Mathur was sworn-in as the first Lieutenant Governorof the strategically located Union Territory on Thursday of Ladakh, which cameinto existence after the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir.

Mathurwas administered the oath of office by the Chief Justice of Jammu and KashmirHigh Court, Gita Mittal, at a function held at the Sindhu Sanskriti auditorium.The function was also attended by officials of Leh and Kargil Hill councils,Army and paramilitary forces, religious leaders and the general public.

Swearing-inas the Lieutenant Governor, Mathur said that a lot of development activitiesneeded to be carried out in the border areas.

An officialspokesperson while quoted him said that already the government is implementingseveral programmes in the region, priorities for Ladakh will be set in the newregime in consultation with the public and hill councils.

The UnionHome Ministry revoked a notification of December last year imposing President'srule in undivided Jammu and Kashmir ahead of swearing-in.

The Centre,on Wednesday night, appointed Umang Narula, a 1989-batch IAS officer, as anadvisor to Mathur, besides posting S S Khandare, a 1995-batch IPS officer, asthe 'Head of Police' in Ladakh.

Ladakh,which has a population of nearly three lakh is strategically located as itshares borders with Pakistan as well as China.