LEH: Continuing his daily review of the administrative functioning and general issues of public welfare, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) on Thursday met the departmental secretaries and discussed with them the progress of development works of their respective departments, besides issuing a number of instruction to make the governance more people- centric and efficient, even as he visited the Leh airport to take a first-hand assessment of preparations ahead of the Y20 summit planned in Leh next month.
In fourth such meeting in past six days, LG Mishra inquired about the possibility of exploring the concept of parking space in unutilised areas in Leh town on the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and instructed Ladakh Police and Department of Urban Local Bodies concerned officials to conduct a survey to check its feasibility.
He instructed the Department of Urban Local Bodies to create small parking areas in Leh town besides ordering that the ongoing construction of the multi-tier parking at Polo Ground must be completed this year.
LG instructed the PHE Department to inspect water pipelines at regular intervals in case of any breakage and provide drinking water to needy people at the earliest. He also instructed that the quality of drinking water may be checked regularly. Suggesting about the improvement of Karzoo Pond, the LG instructed Deputy Commissioner, Leh to look into the problems of the War Heroes Colony in Leh.
LG instructed the concerned officials to stop encroachment and the dumping of waste in river bodies and nullahs and emphasised the importance of public participation, raising awareness among them and their cooperation for the success of any project.
The departmental secretaries and concerned officials informed HLG about the pending works in their departments and the issues faced by them.
Officials from Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) gave a detailed presentation on their initiatives to make Ladakh carbon neutral through the usage of smart and energy-efficient appliances.
The meeting was attended by LG’s Advisor, Umang Narula; Principal Secretaries, Dr Pawan Kotwal and Sanjiv Khirwar; Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Ladakh Police, Satish Khandare; Commissioner Secretaries, Saugat Biswas and Padma Angmo; Secretaries, Mehboob Ali Khan, Ravinder Kumar, Yetindra M Maralkar; Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Shrikant Suse and other concerned officials from other departments.
Earlier in the day, Brigadier Mishra inspected Kushok Bakula Rimpochee (KBR) Airport to inspect the preparatory work for the visit of the delegates to participate in the Youth 20 (Y20) Pre-Summit, besides the visit of the President of India to Ladakh.
The Y20 event is slated to be held in Leh under the aegis of G20 from April 26 to 28
At the outset, LG instructed the concerned officials not to cause any trouble to the passengers on the day of arrival and departure of the delegates to and from Leh. He also instructed that the surroundings of the KBR Airport must be clean and highlighted that the appearance of the airport must be aesthetically pleasing.
Inquiring about the medical facilities to be provided for the delegates at the airport, the LG instructed that there should be a dedicated medical team, including a female doctor, with proper equipment along with an ambulance stationed at the airport.
“An advisory on do’s and don’ts should be shared with the delegates in advance so that they take precautionary measures during their visit to Ladakh keeping the high-altitude and geographical conditions of the region in mind. The delegates must be advised to take rest on the day of their arrival in Leh to acclimatise themselves,” he instructed.
The LG inquired about the liaison officers (LOs) of the delegates and instructed that proper briefing and training must be provided to the LOs along with identification badges for the smooth conduct of the event. He instructed that the delegates should be given a traditional welcome with songs and music.
Commissioner Secretary Saugat Biswas informed LG of the arrangements being made at the KBR Airport for the delegates attending the Y20 Pre-Summit in Leh. He informed about the installation of mobile toilets and the use of e-buses for the transportation of the delegates to their respective hotels. He also informed about the arrangements being made for proper coordination for the tagging and transportation of the luggage/baggage of the delegates from Delhi to Leh and also to their respective hotels in Leh.
Director Health Services, Dr Motup Dorje informed LG that a dedicated medical team would be stationed at the KBR Airport and also at the hotels where the delegates are staying.
In Wednesday’s review meeting, the LG had inquired about the capital complex and discussed its layout plan with the officials of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD). He emphasised the need to specify the utilisation area and also to make some changes in the layout plan. He instructed Secretary, Tourism and Culture, to put the state song in the public domain to seek feedback and suggestions from the people of Ladakh.
LG inquired about the possibility of providing financial assistance to the handloom weavers and people engaged in the rearing of pashmina goats in remote villages of the Changthang area. He instructed DC Leh to provide assistance/compensation to the victims of natural calamities as per the NDRF guidelines.
LG inquired about the progress of the development of the Dark Sky Reserve at Hanley along with the provision of accommodation for the tourists. He highlighted the need to provide financial benefits to the people of Hanley, particularly women along with the upgradation of the accommodation facilities in the area.
The LG also reviewed progress of ongoing and future plans of Ladakh Police, stressing on ensuring proper training for its personnel, filling the vacant posts in Ladakh Police at the earliest to provide employment opportunities to the youth of Ladakh, besides conducting an administrative study for the need-based and distance-based upgradation of police posts/stations keeping the concerned stakeholders on board with full transparency in a time-bound manner.
The LG emphasised the need to tackle the drug menace and instructed Ladakh Police to coordinate with the Indian Army to put a check on the drug issue in Ladakh. He instructed Ladakh Police to ensure that police personnel are not deputed at their home police station or police posts. He also instructed that there should be a rotation of SPOs (Special Police Officers).
LG instructed ADGP Satish Khandare to conduct mock drills and testing of equipment to ensure the maintenance of law and order in Ladakh.
