Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Nov 22 :Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, R K Mathur called on Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh at his official residence here today and offered an update about the recent developments following the creation of the Union Territory of Ladakh three weeks ago.
Dr Jitendra Singh informed Mathur about the special priority focus to be given to Ladakh on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He referred to the Prime Minister’s emphasis of the development of the region during his visit to Ladakh early this year and also mentioned a number of projects launched by Modi during that visit.
Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that the demand for a Union Territory was made by the people of Ladakh soon after independence before the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru but it was only after Narendra Modi took over as Prime Minister that the demand was addressed because this Government does not base its decisions on extraneous considerations or vote-bank politics. As a Union Terrirtory, Ladakh has to make up for the lapses and discrimination of the last several decades and Mathur as the first Lt Governor has a historic as well as crucial responsibility to deliver, he added.
The recent announcement made by Union Home Minister Amit Shah for Rs. 50,000 crore to support the Power Projects in Ladakh and to provide (-) 30 Degree Centigrade Diesel fuel, said Dr Jitendra Singh, will not only provide ease of living but would also be a gamechanger.
Describing it as a beginning of a new era of the fast development of Ladakh, Dr Jitendra Singh also shared with Lieutenant Governor Mathur details of discussions he had held with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to set up Fruit Processing Units for “Leh Berry” in Ladakh and “Garo Berry” for Meghalaya. This, he said, would provide a huge source of local livelihood for the people of Ladakh in the same manner as has been accomplished in North East.
Dr Jitendra Singh also emphasized the need to explore Ladakh’s potential for production of Solar Energy, which could be a boon for the entire country. He informed the Lieutenant Governor that last year he had taken up with the Aviation Ministry the issue of increasing air connectivity with the region and also regulation of the air fare for the local residents. Following this, he said, under the UDAAN scheme of Government of India, an airport for Kargil was approved along with an airport for Kishtwar.
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