Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Jan 18: Ladakh Autonomous Hill Develop-ment Council (LAHDC), Leh is facing crisis as State Government has failed to honour its commitment for fully meeting the expenditure incurred on carrying out developmental activities during Kalachakra Initiation held in the district in July last year.
Reliable sources told EXCELSIOR that in order to play host to huge number of devotees during Kalachakra Initiation held in Leh in the month of July 2014 after more than 30 years, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council had to carry out huge developmental activities in and around Leh town.
These activities were started from May 2013 onwards with prior information to the State Government about financial implications involved in the same. Even during the execution of developmental works, the issue was taken up with the Planning and Development and Finance Departments and every time positive assurance was given to the Hill Council about providing special financial assistance.
Even in the month of January 2014 a high level delegation from Leh comprising Chief Executive Councilor, Rigzin Spalbar and the then Minister for Urban Development, Nawang Rigzin Jora called on the then Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah and discussed the works being carried out for hosting mega event, sources informed.
The then Chief Minister, while observing that Kalachakra Initiation would play vital role in tourism promotion in Ladakh region, made commitment to release the funds to be incurred on carrying out special developmental works, they further informed.
Keeping this commitment in mind, the Roads and Buildings, Tourism, Irrigation and Flood Control and Power Development Departments made an expenditure of Rs 20 crore on year long developmental works aimed at playing host to more than one lakh devotees from within and outside the country. Soon after the conclusion of Kalachakra Initiation, the Hill Council got details of expenditure submitted to the Planning and Development Department for release of funds to meet the liability of the contractors engaged by these departments.
However, the then Planning Minister didn’t clear the file and allowed it to gather dust in the Civil Secretariat despite repeated requests from the Hill Council and Chief Executive Councilor, sources regretted. “Though the then Planning Minister was asked to discuss the issue with the Chief Minister so that latter’s commitment could be translated into reality but the Minister didn’t respond”, they said.
Out of Rs 20 crore liability, Rs 5 crore in the Urban Development Sector was cleared by the then Minister, Nawang Rigzin Jora but no decision could be taken on remaining Rs 16 crore”, sources said, adding “now, the Hill Council has started facing pressure from the contractors about clearing the liability”.
“If the liability is not cleared before March it would have impact on routine developmental activities during the next working season as contractors would not come forward to carry out works”, they said, adding “as the Annual Plan of the Leh is meager and no step-up has been given during the past several years, the Hill Council is not in a position to clear the liability from this head”.
Keeping in view the peculiar situation, the Hill Council has urged the Governor N N Vohra to bail it out of the financial crisis. “When the delegation of Hill Council and MLAs from Leh called on Mr Vohra yesterday, the impact of the prevailing situation on routine developmental activities during next working season was thoroughly discussed”, sources said.
Mr Vohra also discussed the matter with Principal Secretary Planning and Development Department, B R Sharma and directed him to find out solution on priority basis so that routine developmental activities don’t suffer in Leh.
It is pertinent to mention here that around 1.65 lakh devotees from different parts of country and 76 foreign countries participated in Kalachakra Initiation and made it a grand success.
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