Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 15: Saying that winter stocking in twin districts of Leh and Kargil is a time bound assignment, as both the districts get landlocked for about 6 months during winters, the Minister for Finance and Ladakh Affairs, Abdul Rahim Rather today called for a missionary spirit to fulfil the full targets assigned to various departments before the Srinagar-Kargil National Highway gets closed.
Speaking at a high level meeting held at Civil Secretariat convened to review performance under the Action Plan for winter stocking in Leh and Kargil districts for this year, Mr. Rather said though the process of winter stocking is going on satisfactorily but “we should not get complacent and complete the targets ahead of the time frame, since the Leh-Srinagar Highway could get closed anytime due to sudden snow fall”. He said every effort will be made to keep the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road open as long as the weather remains favourable.
The Minister for Urban Development and Urban Local Bodies, Nawang Rigzin Jora, Advisor to Chief Minister, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Minister of State for Science and Technology, Feroz Ahmed Khan, Chief Executive Counsellor, Hill Development Council, Kargil, Asgar Karbalai were also present in the meeting.
The Finance Minister assured that availability of funds required in connection with the winter stocking of essential commodities in both Leh and Kargil districts will not be any constraint.
While reviewing the winter stocking process in Kargil district, Rather asked the concerned departments to increase the number of trucks to build targeted stocks of Atta, Sugar, Rice, K.Oil and cooking gas.
The Secretary Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, Baseer Ahmed Khan informed the meeting that in view of inundation of flour mills and LPG bottling plants in Srinagar, direct supplies from Jammu to Kargil have been arranged to build the targeted stock of some essential commodities.
The Principal Secretary Power Development Department, A. K. Mehta informed that Rs. 15 crore and Rs. 10 crore have been earmarked for purchasing and stocking of High Speed Diesel Generators (HSDG) to generate power in Kargil and Leh districts respectively during the winter months, adding that an additional amount of Rs. 5 crore was needed to meet the power requirements appropriately.
The Finance Minister asked the Managing Director, JK Cements to intensify stocking of cement in both Leh and Kargil districts. It was informed that the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has stocked 85,660 quintals of Rice against a target of one lakh quintals, 9000 quintals of Sugar against 10,500 quintals and 55800 quintals of Atta against 80,000 quintals in Kargil district upto October 9, 2014. The process of winter stocking of other commodities including chemical fertilizers, cattle and poultry feed, medicines, drugs, agriculture inputs and key building materials is also going on in full swing.
The meeting observed that the process of winter stocking of essential commodities and key building materials in Leh districts was also going on satisfactory.
The IGP Traffic, Muneer Khan informed the meeting that Srinagar-Jammu National Highway will be opened for two way traffic from tomorrow.
Among others, the meeting was attended by the Principal Secretary Planning and Development, B. R. Sharma, Commissioner Secretary Transport, Bipul Pathak, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Rohit Kansal, Transport Commissioner, Dilshada Khan, District Development Commissioners of Leh and Kargil, Simrandeep Singh and Mohammad Sidiq Sheikh, Registrar Cooperatives, Basharat Saleem, MD, J&K SRTC, T. S. Tandon.
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