Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh today chaired a review meeting with the Executive Councillors and Councilors of LAHDC, Leh headed by Chief Executive Councilor, LAHDC, Leh Dr. Sonam Dawa Lonpo, and Deputy Commissioner Leh Prasanna Ramaswamy at Council Secretariat yesterday evening. Minister for Cooperatives & Ladakh Affairs, Chhering Dorjey was also present in the meeting.DC, Leh gave a brief power point presentation highlighting some major ongoing projects and schemes in different sectors including agriculture, horticulture, sheep husbandry, PDD, PDC, I&FC, Leh Beautification Project and tourism. The meeting had an extensive discussion about the scope and issues of Agriculture, Horticulture and Sheep husbandry which have immense potential to boost the economy of Ladakh if cold storage, processing, marketing, farm mechanization, commercial greenhouses and packaging facilities are provided to the farmers and entrepreneurs through different schemes / subsidies.Referring to the outbreak of brown-tail moth insect in Shamm area of Leh is expected to lower the annual income of farmers from fruits from Rs. 8 crore last year to Rs 7 to 8 lacs this year, DC maintained and added that he has already instructed Revenue department for assessment of crop damage to claim relief.
The meeting had a constructive discussion regarding cultivation and value addition of seabuckthorn and apricot at larger scale regarding which Co operative Minister informed the meeting that Leh and Kargil district are brought under ICDP project in which both district can avail National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) loans adding that a DPR is already in process under this scheme for Seabuckthorn project at large level in Leh district.The schemes of Sheep Husbandry including Pashmina Promotion Programme ( P-3) and Pashmina Wool Development Scheme designed for Changthang region were also reviewed component wise.The meeting was informed by Cooperative Minister and CEC Dr. Dawa that a new Italian Pashmina Deharing Plant worth Rs.11 crore will be procured shortly as is in the last stage to get clearance from concerned ministry at J&K State. Responding to the issues and demands raised by CEC Dr. Dawa and EC Dorjey Mutup including approval of several major projects already submitted to State Govt. and filling up of different posts specially doctors and JEs, the Deputy Chief Minister instructed the Council to develop a constant follow-up system to through projects assuring his intervention at different levels whenever required. He also directed DC to submit a comprehensive report of different key sectors department wise highlighting their prospects and issues to his office assuring to take up these issues with concerned ministries.
While reviewing the PDD and PDC departments, the Deputy Chief Minister was told that out of total 113 villages of Leh, 11 villages are un-electrified and at present 45 villages are being supplied electricity through D.G Sets. After thematic discussion about the overall power scenario of the district, the meeting came to know that Leh district has surplus power in summer months but due to lack of transmission lines huge quantity of surplus electricity is utilized.Talking about Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) which is designed for rural areas and Integrated Power Development Scheme ( IPDS) for town area, Dy CM said that to address minor problems in power sector, state govt. has sanctioned one crore each for every assembly constituency as per which Leh district has Rs. 2 crore to expend. On the request of councilors, Dr. Nirmal also assured to increase the stock of transformers for Leh district. To resolve the issues of PDD and PDC, minister directed DC, Leh to convene a meeting of both the agencies separately and report him accordingly.Meanwhile, CEC Dr. Dawa also directed councilors to submit the list of un-electrified villages with total number of household in their respective constituency within a week to his office.Taking serious note on the slow progress in Leh Beautification works, Dy. CM and cooperative Minister directed SE PWD to speed up the works by engaging extra men and machine and also instructed him to take strict action against contractors who fail to obey contact rules. Dy. CM also requested all the councilor of LAHDC, Leh to spread awareness about the centrally sponsored schemes including Jann Dhann Yojna and insurance schemes in their respective constituencies and urged them to benefit every household with at least one centrally sponsored scheme.