Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, July 5: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, Government of India, has called upon for execution of work on Zojila tunnel in Ladakh region on priority basis to provide all weather connectivity to Ladakh with rest of the country as presently Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remains cut off for almost six months during winter.
At a high level meeting in Kargil with district officers, the Commission’s vice chairman Ravi Thakur called for executing work on 18 kilometers long Zojila tunnel by the BRO on priority basis for overall socio-economic development of Ladakh region.
The meeting decided to take up the construction of Kargil-Zanskar road, which has recently been declared as National Highway 301 with the Government of India. The highway has total road length of 234 kilometers.
A proposal for construction of the highway at the cost of Rs 115 crore is under submission to the Government of India by the Public Works Department (PWD). An amount of Rs 111.44 crore has been proposed for the highway for current financial year of 2014-15 but its approval was still awaited.
The district administration urged the vice chairman of the Commission to recommend 50 to 60 seated commercial aircraft on subsidized rates for airlifting passengers from Kargil airport to other destinations throughout the year to ensure connectivity of the area.
Mr Thakur agreed to recommend a proposal of the administration for construction of Zanskar Airport, which has already been submitted to the Government of India for approval and funding. The Zanskar Airport has strategic importance from defence point of view.
“As Zanskar sub division remained cut off from district headquarter for more than six months due to heavy snowfall from district headquarters for more than six months in the winter, the block headquarters of Taisuru, Sankoo, Drass and Shakar-Chiktan also remained cut off. The vice chairman desired identification of their location and submission of proposals of civil helipads—four in Zanskar sub division and one each in other blocks of the district,’’ sources said.
The vice chairman agreed to recommend that the State share under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme shall be provided from the State plan to district Kargil and funds be release on the pattern of North East States.
The district authorities proposed to the vice chairman to take up with the PMO a proposal for waiving of land cost by giving it on subsidized rates for construction of Kargil House in New Delhi.
The authorities sought exemption in Income Tax for non-local employees posted in Kargil at par with local employees in view of adverse weather conditions being faced by them.
The meeting decided to take up the matter for declaring Sani Khar Zanskar, Chiktan Khar and Karchay Khar as world heritage.
Several other issues pertaining to different departments were also taken up in the meeting.
It may be mentioned here that Ravi Thakur had also met Governor NN Vohra and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar during his visit to Kashmir.
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