Agartala, Sep 30 (IANS): West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi, who has been given the additional charge of Tripura, was on Wednesday sworn in as the state's 17th governor.

Tripura High Court Chief Justice Deepak Gupta administered the oath of office to Tripathi, 80, at the Durbar Hall in Raj Bhavan here.

Acting Chief Minister Aghore Debbarma, his cabinet colleagues, legislators and leaders of various political parties and top security and civil officials were present at the brief swearing-in ceremony.

Tripura Chief Secretary Y.P. Singh conducted the programme.

Earlier in the day, on his arrival from Kolkata, Tripathi was received at the airport by the chief secretary, Director General of Police K. Nagaraj and top officials.

Tripathi took the additional charge of Tripura's gubernatorial post as the state's incumbent governor Tathagata Roy has gone to meet his daughter in the US.

President Pranab Mukherjee on September 24 approved Roy's one month leave and asked Tripathi to discharge additional duties.

Tripathi practised as a lawyer in the Allahabad High Court from 1956 till 2014 except for the three times when he was speaker of the Uttar Pradesh assembly -- in 1991, 1997 and 2002.