Leh, January 26: The historic Leh Palace adorned with a grand national tricolour elevated the celebration of 72nd Republic Day of India in UT Ladakh. The Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, R K Mathur, unfurled the national flag at the Leh Polo ground today and paid his homage to the defenders of the Indian nation.
With the COVID-19 pandemic situation not yet over the UT Administration arranged for a limited guests participation in the ceremonial parades of military, para-military and police followed by cultural events. On the occasion, he congratulated Mr Tsultrim Chonjor for getting awarded with Padma Shri for his social work contribution for Ladakh and Col. Santosh Babu (Posthumous) for getting awarded Maha Vir Chakra who sacrificed his life defending the nation on the soil of Ladakh.
Lt. Governor Mathur in his public address highlighted the coordinated works and developmental achievements between the UT Administration, the Leh-Kargil LAHDCs and the Panchayati Raj Institutions despite the challenges of COVID-19 situation. There are initiatives afoot to strengthen these grass-root institutions further, he said. And for better coordination with GOI, he informed that Ladakh Bhawan has been set up in Delhi, Chandigarh and Mumbai. He added that LAHDC Leh and Kargil too will have Bhawans in Delhi that will facilitate patients and students from Ladakh.
He reiterated the hard work and sacrifices of the front-line workers including doctors and paramedics of Ladakh in effective control of the pandemic here, setting a unique national record in terms of treatments and recovery. The administrative responses and the people’s cooperation helped in achieving these positive results. He urged the people of Ladakh not to fear the coronavirus vaccination and come forward to get vaccinated. He spoke about the health and education as the priority sectors and the multi-crore projects of setting up laboratories, development of state of art health, school and sports infrastructures. LG informed that for the first time a budget of Rs.23.49 crores has been approved for the procurement of medical equipment for both the district and medical staff vacancies are being filled on priority to address manpower shortage. He said that the Administration is also working on introducing mobile units and use of telemedicine as future prospect of health development.
LG said that this year under SDP and Samagra Shiksha, a budget of Rs.850 crores has been allotted for infrastructural development including digital equipment, solar passive structures and central heating system in schools and 29 KGBP government residential schools have been provided with this facility on priority. He said that major focus is being given on upgrading higher education in Ladakh with setting up of Engineering College in Kargil, introduction of 10 undergraduate and postgraduate streams in the University of Ladakh, up-gradation of Food Craft Institute, Leh to Institute of Hotel Management, a Medical college, a Mountain Research Institute, Skiing Institute and National Institute of Sowa Rigpa to ensure a better future prospect for the Ladakhi youth. He thanked Prime Minister Modi for announcing a new Central University for Ladakh and urged the Ladakhi youth to take full advantage of these facilities at their doorstep.
“PM Modi’s vision of carbon-free Ladakh drives every developmental initiative,” said Mathur. He described some of the unprecedented developmental projects being undertaken such as solar projects in Phyang (50 MW), 1 MW solar hybrid plant in Nyoma and Kargil (50MW). In this respect, he revealed the ongoing process of developing Ladakh vision 2050 with the NITI Aayog and also the Leh vision 2030. He said that with the target to reduce carbon emission, UT Administration has initiated works towards the discontinuation of diesel generator sets and till date 17 DG sets have been replaced with Grid/Hydro clean power.
Acknowledging the people’s concern about employment and culture the Lt. Governor said that providing employment opportunities is a key objective of UT Administration and assured to initiate regular appointments after the orders are issued based on the ongoing talks which shall give due consideration to the concerns and aspirations of the people of Ladakh. He informed of the recruitment of 385 regular employees through LAHDC, Kargil and around 600 Ladakhis engaged in different government departments through outsourcing on an urgent basis.
The Lt. Governor mentioned about effective implementation of various centrally sponsored schemes in Ladakh that includes 190 km of road constructed under PMGSY, construction of 1200 houses under PM Awas Yojana Grameen, ex-gratia of Rs. 410 lakhs to 5030 beneficiaries under National Social Assistance Programme, 220 vendors benefited under PM Swanidhi Programme and works initiated to achieve the goal of providing potable and safe drinking water to every household in Ladakh by 2022 under Jal Jeevan Mission. He also mentioned about measures taken to promote Pashmina with a corpus fund of 3 crores for the welfare of livestock in Changthang, emergency feed given to Changpas for the first time and stationing of 3 well equipped mobile ambulances in Changthang and shelter construction undertaken on priority.
In order to ensure sustainable development of Ladakh, LG said that major focus is being given to develop agriculture, horticulture, dairy, handicraft and handloom sectors. He added that various initiatives have been made in this direction like under PM Food Processing and Micro Enterprise Scheme, Apricots and Seabuckthorn have been selected as priority products for development under the One District One Product Classification of GOI. Likewise, under the national programme, 7000 households have been covered under a benchmark survey across 49 villages and registration of 32 milk cooperatives is in the final stage and two milk pasteurization units shall come up in Leh and Kargil districts. He informed that under phase-1 vaccination of the National Animal Disease Control Programme, 94% coverage has been achieved and Ladakh stood 1st among all UTs. For entrepreneurial development, 2000 entrepreneurs have been trained and other initiatives are under process to promote Pashmina, seabuckthorn, medicinal and aromatic plants, etc.
To promote tourism sector in Ladakh various steps have been initiated with the primary objective to encourage winter tourism in Ladakh by organizing events like Ladakh Literature Festival, Ladakh Winter Conclave, Khelo India Zanskar Youth Festival, Khelo India Ladakh Winter Games, Chadar trek etc., said LG Mathur. He added that innovative ideas are also being explored to promote tourism like wildlife safari, science tourism, Astro tourism, Tourism Incentive Policy and Home Stay Policy have been announced.
LG spoke about the improvement of power supply over the past one year with owing to the operationalisation of the 220 KV Srinagar-Leh transmission line and about 28% growth in power consumption and 24×7 power supply in grid areas. He lauded the efforts of BRO in keeping Zojila pass open till December 31 and said that efforts will be made to reopen it early. He also quoted that the opening of Kargil-Zanskar road in the month of January as a major achievement. The LG Mathur made an appeal to the people of Ladakh to participate equally in the development of Ladakh to ensure a prosperous future for the generations to come.
Earlier, the Lt. Governor of Ladakh paid tribute to the martyrs in a wreath-laying ceremony by Indian Army at the Hall of Fame. He was accompanied by Lt. Gen. PGK Menon, GOC, HQ 14 Corps and Maj. Gen Aakash Kaushik, Chief of Staff, HQ 14 Corps.
