Mathur seeks more IFS officers for UT
Reviews work on Zojila tunnel with NHIDCL MD
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 19: Amidst continued standoff in Eastern Ladakh, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Radha Krishna Mathur today met Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and Indian Air Force (IAF) chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria in New Delhi and is understood to have discussed with them the situation prevailing along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China.
An official tweet by the Office of LG Ladakh, however, said that Mathur discussed the issues related to Army land, border tourism etc with the Defence Secretary.
“Lt Governor RK Mathur held a meeting with Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar in New Delhi today. Subjects related to Army land, border tourism, BRO India projects and issues pertaining to Wildlife in border areas were discussed during the meeting,” the tweet said.
Significantly, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria also called on the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh in New Delhi today.
Another tweet by the Office of LG Ladakh said that various issues pertaining to development of Ladakh were discussed during the meeting.
However, according to sources, the situation in Eastern Ladakh is understood to have figured during the meetings Mathur had with the Defence Secretary as well as the Indian Air Force chief in New Delhi.
While no untoward incident has been reported from the Eastern Ladakh for past quite some time, situation in some areas remained tense with no breakthrough on disengagement.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had visited Ladakh for three days ending last month during which he had also toured LAC with China in Eastern Ladakh and reviewed situation as well as defence preparedness of the troops.
Meanwhile, during his meeting with Union Minister for Forests, Environment and Climate Bhupender Yadav, Mathur has also sought deputation of more Indian Forest Services (IFS) officers of AGMUT cadre to Ladakh.
Mathur had yesterday taken up the issues of ESI benefits to local and migrant workers in Ladakh with Yadav, who also holds the charge of Labour and Employment.
Meanwhile, the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh also met KK Pathak, Managing Director of National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) in the Union capital and discussed with him progress of work on Zojila tunnel which will connect Ladakh with rest of the world during entire year. Presently, Ladakh remains cut off by road during four months of winter.
Apart from Zojila tunnel, Mathur also discussed with Pathak the progress on other projects under NHIDCL in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
Union Minister for Roads and Highways Nitin Gadkari had recently announced that the Government will make world famous hill station like Davos in Switzerland at 18 kilometers stretch at Zojila Morh.
However, construction of Zojila tunnel is expected to take six years.
CECs retain rank of Cabinet Minister, ECs as MoS
The Union Territory of Ladakh administration has announced that the Chairpersons-cum Chief Executive Councilors (CECs) of Leh and Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Councils will continue to get the status in the Warrant of Precedence which they were already getting.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the UT of Ladakh administration has sent its first Warrant of Precedence for approval to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
“However, as the MHA was yet to approve the Warrant of Precedence, the UT Administration has declared that Chairpersons-cum-CECs of Leh and Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Councils will continue to get the protocol which they had been accorded by erstwhile State Government of Jammu and Kashmir when Ladakh was also part of the State as third division.
In the existing protocol, the Chairpersons-cum-CECs of the Hill Councils are placed in the rank of Cabinet Ministers of a State while four Executive Councilors each in Leh and Kargil Councils enjoyed the rank of Ministers of State.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
