New Delhi, June 1 : K. H. Muniyappa on Monday took over as the new Minister of State for Railways.

Chairman, Railway Board, S. S. Khurana, all Railway Board Members and senior officials of Railway Board were among those present on the occasion.

Muniyappa was recently re-elected to 15th Lok Sabha on his 6th term from Kolar constituency in Karnataka.

He was elected to Lok Sabha earlier in 1991, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2004.

Born on March 7, 1948 in Karnataka, Muniyappa has obtained degrees of B. A and LLB from Bangalore University, Karnataka. He earlier held the Minister of State portfolio in the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways in the previous UPA Government at the centre.

During his long parliamentary career, he was member of various important parliamentary committees and held several social, political and government posts.

He was member of Committee on Industry; member of Consultative Committee of Ministry of Welfare; member of Consultative Committee of Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and Special Invitee to Consultative Committee of Ministry of Steel and Mines.

Since 1969, Muniyappa has been holding the post of Vice Convenor, Congress (I) Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Cell, Distt. Kolar, Karnataka.

He was also the member of Indian Parliamentary delegation led by the Lok Sabha Speaker G. M. C. Balayogi to Russia in 1998. (ANI)