Leh, Feb 22: The Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, RK Mathur, was today called on by various delegations at Raj Niwas.
A delegation led by President, All Ladakh Hotel and Guest House Association (ALHGHA), Skarma Tsering Dehlex, briefed LG Mathur about the need to promote Ladakh tourism at various national and international events and issues related to the registration of hotels and guest houses.
President ALHGHA briefed about the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism sector in Ladakh. He stressed the need for stakeholders from Ladakh tourism sector to participate in various events such as South Asia’s Travel & Tourism Exchange (SATTE), OTM, Internationale Tourismus-Börse (ITB), etc.
LG Mathur stated that the stakeholders in the tourism sector may collectively finalise four events, including two domestic and two international, where they want to participate.
President ALHGHA also apprised LG Mathur of the problems faced by the owners of hotels and guest houses in registering their tourism enterprises. He also requested for the speedy approval process of the current draft of Ladakh Building Code 2021, issuance of a provisional ‘consent to operate/establish’ certificate and the need to set up a single-window system for the registration process of tourism enterprises for ease of doing business.
Another delegation led by Founder, Adventure Sports Federation of Ladakh (ASFL), Chamba Tsetan, briefed LG Mathur about the plan to organise the Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon in collaboration with UT Administration on the occasion of World Water Day on March 22 this year to spread awareness about the issue of global warming. Chamba further briefed LG Mathur about the potential of such events in promoting winter tourism in Ladakh. LG Mathur pointed out the need to seek approval from the Indian Army due to security reasons as well as clearance by the Wildlife Department. He stated the plans to organise more tourism activities in the winter may generate more income for the people.
Another delegation led by General Secretary, Aam Aadmi Party Ladakh, Skarma Jigmet, briefed LG Mathur about the reopening of schools in Ladakh post-COVID-19 pandemic. The delegation requested LG Mathur to give utmost importance to education due to the gap in the education process suffered by students and parents due to the lockdown.
They also gave the following suggestions: prioritising education sector and enhancement in the budget; equipping medical centres and sub-centres in Leh and Kargil for random COVID-19 testing of students; equipping schools with sanitation kits and sanitisation of classrooms, school buses and canteen; issuance of school-specific SOPs and guidelines; completion of COVID-19 vaccination of children between 15-18 years of age and operating high enrolment schools using odd/even roll numbers.
LG Mathur stated that everyone has contributed during the COVID-19 pandemic period and efforts are being made to strengthen the education sector. He appreciated the suggestions given by the delegation. LG Mathur emphasised the need for hybrid education and stated that simultaneously old educational practices should not be compromised. He also spoke on various initiatives taken by the Administration and the Hill Councils to improve the education sector in Ladakh.
