Leh : The Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) interacted with 50 officers of the Army, Navy and Air Force undergoing Higher Command Course at Army War College in Mhow, at the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat. Advisor to the HLG, Dr Pawan Kotwal, IAS; ADGP Ladakh, Dr SD Singh Jamwal, IPS and Commissioner/Secretary to the HLG, Shri L Franklin, IAS, were also in the meeting.
At the outset, the HLG complimented and congratulated the Army officers for being nominated for the prestigious course. He flagged four issues the UT Administration is trying to address, including the challenges of governance and administration in Ladakh. The HLG highlighted the differences between a Governor and Lieutenant Governor having held both positions over the last few years.
The HLG informed the Army officers about Ladakh’s past, present and future, including Ladakh’s history, the importance of Silk Route for traders, the stepchild treatment of Ladakh by the government of the erstwhile state of J&K, the abrogation of Article 370 and declaration of Ladakh as a Union Territory, the manifold increase in budget allocation to Ladakh by Government of India since Ladakh became a UT, the announcement by the Government of India to set up solar power plant in Ladakh, etc.
The HLG highlighted challenges Ladakh is facing, viz. catering drinking water to future generations 30 years down the line; creation of new administrative units so that people residing in the farthest corner of Ladakh don’t have to travel long distances to reach district headquarters; the need to make Ladakh self-sufficient in budgetary aspect, etc. He highlighted various initiatives the UT Administration took to promote pashmina, rural tourism through the promotion of Dark Sky Sanctuary at Hanley and the framing of Industrial Policy.
Stating that the Army officers are entering the competitive phase of their military careers, the HLG asked them to not focus on their promotion only but on other aspects also. He highlighted the need to develop certain personality traits such as transparency, accountability, probity, equal dispensation, daily self-audit and mid-course correction to help their personalities become more conspicuous and noticeable. He also asked them to go by their karma and dharma through serenity, do good deeds and believe in the cosmic management of human destiny.
There was also a question-and-answer session with the Army officers.
