Louisiana: Bobby Jindal, the first Indian-American to be elected governor in the United States was sworn in Louisiana and he lost no time in reiterating his campaign pledge to change the corrupt image of Louisiana, and make it a symbol of the gold standard for ethics.

"We have the opportunity --born of tragedy but embraced still the same-- to make right decades of failure in government," Jindal said in his inaugural speech, referring to hurricanes Katrina and Rita of 2005.

Jindal, a former congressman, whose parents migrated to Louisiana from Punjab about forty years ago, became Louisiana's first nonwhite governor since Reconstruction.

At a ceremony witnessed by thousands, Supreme Court's chief justice, Pascal administered the oath of office yesterday while Jindal's wife Supriya held the Bible.

Jindal said he will call a special legislative session beginning on Feb 10 to seek ways and means of rectifying the state's image as a haven for corrupt politicians.

In his speech, he said, "We can build a Louisiana where our leaders and our people set the highest standards and hold every member of our government accountable, a Louisiana where incompetence is not a synonym for government, a Louisiana where corruption does not hold us back," he said without going into details.

Jindal, 36, a conservative Republican, succeeds Democrat Kathleen Blanco, who had defeated him four years earlier. Louisiana is among the nation's most unhealthy and poorest states, its students still perform below average on national educational tests and its population is dwindling.

 

Source : UNI