Zinc gallate, $ZnGa_2O_4:Mn^{2+}$ co-doped with different concentrations of $Mg^{2+}$ (0.001- 0.5 mol%) was prepared by solid state synthesis method. These compositions were investigated for their photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence properties. The optimized composition $Zn_{0.990}Mg_{0.005}Ga_2O_4:Mn_{0.005}$ shows higher luminescence intensity compared to the parent phosphor. The intense green emission peak was found at 504 nm. The $Mg^{2+}$ doping does not affect much the decay time. It remains <10 ms for these compositions which make them potential candidate for application in TV screens.