Reiterating the grit and resolve of Congress to accelerate the process of development in Ladakh region, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and former Chief Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad Sunday said his party has creditable distinction of being real friend and well-wisher of the backward and hilly region of Ladakh.Azad said that the landmark decision of the Congress to establish an Autonomous Hill Development Council at Leh in early nineties gave a new model of addressing the legitimate urges and aspirations of the people of hitherto neglected areas and anchor them to the mainstream of the developmental process.He addressed public meetings at Padum and Sanku in Zanskar constituency of Kargil District. He was accompanied by Ghulam Raza Congress candidate and former MLA who also spoke on the occasion.Asserting that this path-breaking model proved to a watershed in satiating the urges and aspirations of hitherto neglected region of Ladakh, Azad said that Congress ensured the immediate extension of Autonomous Hill Council to Kargil once it came to power in the State, after allaying the misgivings and apprehensions spread by vested interests.
He said that he is extremely happy that the people of Kargil are adequately reaping the benefits of the people-centric and empowering initiatives conceived by the Congress to address the local urges and aspirations, in addition to the opening new vistas of progress and prosperity for the people of Kargil.Urging the people to support overwhelmingly the Congress candidates in the coming Assembly elections, Azad said that he is confident that people of Ladakh, while acknowledging the historic role the Congress Party has played in the socio-economic advancement of both Kargil & Leh, will cast their vote in favour of its candidates to continue their journey on the path of progress and prosperity.He said that Congress has been the real well-wisher of the people of this neglected region, and that their continued love and affection will renew its energy and zeal to work tirelessly for their upliftment and advancement.The Congress leader said that the top leadership of the Party right from Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru to Indira Gandhi to Rajiv Ji and Sonia ji had a special affinity with Ladakh region and that all of them used to visit this far off region with regular frequency.
Referring to his fond association with Ladakh region to seed the process of socio-economic upliftment and development, Azad said that his first cherished contribution as Deputy Minister of I&B in the Union Government was the setting up local stations of All India Radio at Leh and Kargil way back in 1983.He said that all along his political career, he has strived to foster the process of progress and prosperity in Leh as well as Kargil with unflinching resolve and that the warm reciprocation by the people of Ladakh by extending matchless support to the Congress has always touched his heart.Giving an overview of his efforts to ensure socio-economic progress of Leh as well as Kargil, Azad said that as MOS Food in the Union Council of Minister he got constructed sufficient food storage godowns in the region to ensure uninterrupted supply of food-grains to the people throughout the year, and that this small step has alleviated the hardships of the people of the region to a great extent.
The former CM of J&K said upgradation of Leh Airport and promotion of Leh as an international tourist destination during early nineties are scintillating contributions of his tenure as Union Civil Aviation & Tourism Minister to upgrade the socio-economic profile of the people, adding that Congress Party is committed to further speed up the progress and advancement of remote and land-locked region of Ladakh.Referring to the steps taken by Congress to bring Kargil and Ladakh on the developmental map of the State, Azad said that setting up of Chutak and Nimo Bazgo Hydel Projects, sanctioning of Zojila and Z- Morh tunnels, Upgradation of Srinagar-Leh National Highway are some of the landmark achievements of the Congress Party to bring the remote and far off area of Ladakh into the mainstream.Pointing to the sanctioning of Rs 1800 Crores Srinagar-Leh Transmission line by UPA Cabinet towards the fag end of its tenure, Azad said that it will be a signal step to harness the power potential of Ladakh region and will be a harbinger of prosperity in the region.
“Inauguration of the hydel power projects of Leh and Kargil and claiming credit for Srinagar-Leh Transmission line by the NDA Government will not erase the truth from the minds of the people of Ladakh, as they know who has been the driving force behind these big projects”, said Azad adding that people of Ladakh are very farsighted and intelligent not to get misled by the false claims and hollow slogans of certain political parties.He said that in view of the strong public demand, UPA Government sanctioned the upgradation of Kargil-Zanskar road as National Highway in 2013, and once the project is completed people of region will be hugely benefitted by high-class, modern road connecting Zanskar with Kargil.
Referring to the upgradation of health facilities in Kargil District, Azad said that all the major hospital projects- Distict Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, PHCs – were adequately funded by the Health Ministry and that he laid special emphasis on the installation of central heating system in all the health facilities to give comfort and solace to the patients, adding that the leftover projects of CHC Chikthan and GM Pora were sanctioned under NRHM before he demitted office of Health Minister.Appreciating the urge of local doctors of Kargil and Leh District Hospitals to learn new techniques and skills, the Congress leader said that as Health Minister he organized short-term training courses for local specialists at world renowned PGI Chandigarh and AIIMS New Delhi to enable them to provide quality healthcare services to the people of Ladakh.
Outlining the future vision for Leh and Kargil, Azad said that horticulture, hydel power and tourism potential of this region will be tapped to take this region to higher levels of prosperity and progress.He said that Congress has been concerned about the welfare of remote and backward areas as it has never endorsed the exploitative politics played by certain political forces to gain votes of the people and its real agenda will continue to be welfare and upliftment of people.