Leh, July 04: Honourable LG R. K. Mathur was today called on by CEC Leh, Gyal P. Wangyal and CEC Kargil Feroz Ahmed Khan, where roles and functioning of the councils of Leh and Kargil was discussed. LG Mathur, on the occasion, laid emphasis on enhancing the abilities of the two Councils to fully utilize their budget and deliver greater benefits to the people of Ladakh.
Later on, LG R. K. Mathur e-launched Mission Organic Development Initiative (M.O.D.I) of Ladakh and Ladakh Greenhouse Project at the Raj Niwas Ladakh with the foresighted ambition of steering Ladakh on a sustainable path.
As initiated by LAHDC Leh in 2019, project M.O.D.I is a Special Development Project budgeted at INR 500 Crores to introduce organic farming into the mainstream agricultural production system and is proposed to be implemented in three phases in different blocks of Leh and Kargil districts.
In the first phase, 66 villages of Leh and Kargil districts will be converted into organic villages by the end of the financial year 2020, while 85 villages will achieve certification by 2023. The final phase of M.O.D.I will include conversion of 90 villages as organic by 2025.
LG Mathur stated that “By converting Ladakh into an organic state, we will be able to achieve the Honorable Prime Minister Modi’s vision of a Carbon Neutral Ladakh.” He added that establishing a proper supply chain and infrastructure to process and market the product is of utmost importance.
Other than transforming agriculture in Ladakh into a sustainable occupation, M.O.D.I will enable farmers to realize 30% to 40 % of additional income by leveraging the demand of the organic market.
On the same occasion, LG Mathur launched the Ladakh Greenhouse Project targeting at improving vegetable availability in Ladakh through deep winter greenhouse farming. A result of six years of research and development, the greenhouse using polycarbonate as the covering material, has been developed by Defence Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR). In comparison to traditional greenhouses, the polycarbonate greenhouse is found to be warmer, requires lower maintenance, can withstand snow load and has a shelf life of 20 – 25 years. Most importantly, these greenhouses can be cultivated round the year.
LG Mathur lauding the initiative stated that all households must be able to benefit from these greenhouses and suggested construction in village clusters so as to support value chain and derive commercial advantage.
The project has been allotted a budget of INR 76.44 crores and is targeting the installation of 1676 greenhouses over a span of two years in Leh and Kargil districts. LAHDC Leh and Kargil will select beneficiaries for implementation for both the projects.
Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Hon’ble CEC LAHDC Leh Gyal P. Wangyal, Hon’ble CEC LAHDC Kargil Feroz Ahmed Khan, Hon’ble MP Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, Advisor to Honorable LG Umang Narula, Commissioner Secretary Rigzin Samphel, Divisional Commissioner Saugat Biswas, Director DIHAR O.P. Chaurasia, Director Agriculture Tanveer Singh, Chief Horticulture Officer Tsewang Phuntsog, Chief Agriculture Officer Tashi Tsetan and Sr. Scientist (DIHAR) Tsering Stobdan.
