Industrial development to get boost in UT
Civil Aviation Deptt exploring options for Kargil
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 2: The Union Ministry of Home Affairs and Ladakh Administration have initiated setting up of an Entrepreneurship Development Institute for the Union Territory of Ladakh and envisaged developing more Industrial Estates and Agro Processing Clusters in the two districts of the UT to boost industrial activities.
The decisions were aimed at giving boost to industrial development in Ladakh to generate job opportunities for the local youth.
Official sources told the Excelsior that setting up of an Entrepreneurship Development Institute for Ladakh has been initiated for the benefit of entrepreneurs.
“In addition to the existing Industrial Estates, the UT of Ladakh administration in consultations with the Union Home Ministry envisaged developing more Industrial Estates and Agro-Processing Clusters in the districts to boost industrial activities,” sources said.
They added that the Government aims to promote industrial development and generate employment opportunities by facilitating entrepreneurs in establishing micro, small and medium enterprises by improving necessary conditions like infrastructure development, skill development and providing incubation and financial support in the form of incentives to prospective entrepreneurs.
The entrepreneurs of Ladakh, as per the sources, have availed of industrial development support by way of the Industrial Development Scheme of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and other schemes of the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir, which the UT of Ladakh is availing of during the period of transition.
Under Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme Scheme, the first generation entrepreneurs are being empowered to set up micro enterprises and loan up to Rs 10 lakh to set up service enterprises and Rs 25 lakh for manifesting enterprises are being provided, the sources said.
“Important policy initiatives have been taken which include Ladakh Procurement Policy for Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), first-ever Incubation Centre in Leh and Ladakh Food Processing Summit Building Partnerships for Inclusive Growth in Food Processing Sector,” they said.
Sources said the UT Administration of Ladakh has deposited an amount of Rs 3.54 crore with the Airport Authority of India (AAI) towards further transfer to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for the study of Kargil Airport to be carried out by the ICAO to examine feasibility of operations of EA 320.B737 types of aircraft.
The Department of Civil Aviation has been exploring various other options to operate a small fixed-wing aircraft at Kargil Airport with the help of the Ministry of Home Affairs and Civil Aviation, Government of India.
“Subsidized helicopter service is operating in UT of Ladakh with the help of Ministry of Home Affairs. To provide an air connectivity facility in far flung area of the UT, the Department has released an amount of Rs 356.69 lakh in favour of the Deputy Commissioners of Leh and Kargil for construction/up gradation of 36 helipads in both districts,” sources said..
They added that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs in consultations with the Union Territory of Ladakh Administration and other stakeholders like Chairpersons of Leh and Kargil Hill Development Councils, Member of Parliament of Ladakh Jamyang Tsering Namgayal, proposed to take more steps to give boost to industrial development and air connectivity in Ladakh for the benefit of local people.
Some of the Central Government representatives are also scheduled to visit Ladakh this summer for supervising ongoing development schemes in the Union Territory and initiate more projects.
Last summer, a number of Joint Parliamentary Committees, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and many Union Ministers had visited Leh and Kargil districts to assess development scenario and initiate new works in Ladakh. However, schedule of this summer is yet to be chalked out.
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