Himmatnagar: Praful K Patel who hails from Himmatnagar in North Gujarat and who has been minister of state for Home in then Chief Minister Narendra Modi led Gujarat government, has been given additional charge of Administrator of Union Territory Lakshwadweep. Patel is presently an Administrator of Union Territory, Dadra-Nagar Haveli and Daman-Diu for last over four years. He was appointed as administrator by Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government in Centre.

Patel has been given additional charge of Lakshadweep as outgoing Administrator Dineshwar Sharma, who was the former interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and served as the director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), passed away on December 4. Sharma was reportedly under treatment at a hospital in Chennai. Sharma was appointed as the Administrator in October last year. An Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Sharma belonged to the Kerala cadre and had joined the service in 1979

“Administrator of Lakshadweep Shri Dineshwar Sharma Ji made long lasting contributions to India’s policing and security apparatus. He handled many sensitive counter-terror and insurgency ops during his policing career. Anguished by his demise. Condolences to his family. Om Shanti,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted while condoling Sharma’s death.