Ladakh is a border region to the north-east of India. It touches on the Chinese border and as we know China has been taking resort to insinuation on the border with the objective of provoking Indian defence mechanism. China has no doubt made much more economic progress in comparison to our country. We need not go into the reasons. As a result Chinese villages and habitats close to our border are comparatively more prosperous than our border people in Ladakh. Since the two people are of same ethnicity, it is natural that they make a comparative study of their respective societies. We do not want our border people to be the underling in any way. The remedy lies in providing more than necessary economic support and raising their standard of living, which in turn, makes our country’s profile look far better and more rationalist.
Unfortunately, the Union Home Ministry has stumbled on something that has given it a rude shock. Funds provided by the MHA or the Planning Commission to the State Government from time to time with specific purpose of utilizing these for the development of villages along the Chinese border in Ladakh region have not been utilized for the specific purpose. Instead, a bulk of these funds has been diverted and utilized for developmental works in non-border areas. In this way the border areas have been unjustly deprived of their share of development. Twice has the MHA dispatched communiqués to the State Government with the intention of inviting its attention to gross violation of the very philosophy of providing funds under Border Area Development Programme (BDAP)? In the past people in border areas in Ladakh have been persistently complaining of Government neglecting them and providing funds to non-border areas but nobody would listen to them. It was only when at the level of the MHA scrutiny was made and the discrepancy was pointed out. Obviously with the meager allocations made for this purpose, no significant progress could be made by the border areas and the very purpose of the BADP was defeated. After the communiqué of the Home Ministry, Leh district administration found that numerous schemes were taken up at the estimated cost of over 80 crore rupees against the annual BADP Plan of Rs.13 crore. Obviously funds were diverted for an unauthorized head of expenditure. It has bearing on the time required for completion of these schemes. Many of these schemes have been left half way and contractors have refused to resume the work unless arrears of payment are cleared.
With this ground situation and in realization that the border villages have to be developed, particularly in view of their strategic location, the MHA has decided to particularize the villages and increase allocations to make good the loss they have had to suffer on account of willful neglect and hoodwinking by the State authorities. For the border block of Khaltsi allocation of Rs. 17.96 lakh during financial year 2013-14 has been raised to Rs 48 lakh for the current year’s BADP Plan thereby registering an increase of 36%. Similarly, an amount of Rs 206.68 lakh has been earmarked for the Nubra block for this financial year as against Rs 90 lakh during the previous year. MHA had made special mention of Nyoma and Durbuk blocks and this led to increase of 15% and 28.6% respectively over previous year’s financial allocation.
We appreciate the MHA taking special interest in the development of actual border areas in Leh region. Evidently the complaint of the local people will be mitigated. But at the same time, it is unfortunate that the attitude of the State authorities towards these border villages has not been fair and honest. This willful neglect and hoodwinking is highly damaging for the entire State.
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