In view of the pleasant weather and dry spell in winter this year, efforts are on to re-open the 400 km long Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road for vehicular traffic in the last week of March, subject to the fair weather. The BEACON authorities in collaboration with Army and Civil Administration are working in removing snow and landslides from the road especially in Zojila and the process is being completed in a week. This was stated by the Minister for Co-operative and Ladakh Affairs, Chering Dorjay, while chairing a high-level meeting of officers convened to review the arrangements for transportation of essential supplies to Ladakh region for the year 2018-19. The meeting was attended by MLA Zanskar Syed Bakir Hussain Rizvi, Executive Councillor (Health) LAHDC, Leh Gyal P Wangyal, Commissioner Secretary PDD, Hirdesh Kumar Singh, Commissioner Secretary Forest, Saurabh Bhagat, Principal CCF Ravi Kumar Kaiser, District Development Commissioner, Leh, Avny Lawasa, District Development Commissioner, Kargil, Gulzar Hussain, Chief Engineer, PDD & PDC Ladakh K K Raina, Director Area Planning, Showket Aijaz, RTO Kashmir, Khursheed Ahmad Shah, Registrar Cooperative Societies J&K Peerzada Hafizullah Shah, Director FCS&CA Kashmir N A Wani, MD SRTC, Mir Afroz Ahmad, senior officers of JAKFED, FCI, IOC and Ladakh Affairs Department and the officers of BRO and Traffic Police.The Minister directed the concerned authorities to ensure that shortfall items, if any, of essential commodities be dispatched to the region on priority in the first phase. He asked the Transport department to keep available a mobile workshop including a dozer and a recovery van from Gumri to Drass so that no loaded truck may remain stranded in this vulnerable area.
During the meeting, the Minister was apprised about the proposal of supplies prepared by various departments and other stakeholders for 2018-19 in respect to both Leh and Kargil districts.It was disclosed in the meeting that prestigious Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line will be commissioned in October this year for which the required formalities are in advanced stage. The Minister was also apprised that Solar Systems would be provided to those 18 un-electrified villages including 10 in Leh and 8 in Kargil districts which were without electricity so far.The meeting was informed that as many as 13164 truck trips are required for transportation of food grains, key construction material and petroleum products for district Leh while as 11515 truck trips are required for the same purpose for Kargil districts.It was given out that there is a target of stocking of 3382.86 quintals sugar, 105000 quintals rice, 75000 quintals wheat, 1200 quintals of refined/mustard oil, 5700 quintals fertilizers, 650000 quintals of essential commodities and other key construction materials, 2000 quintals of cattle feed, 500 quintals poultry feed and 57360 bags cement besides 59 MT steel for district Leh during the year 2018-19. Accordingly, for the district Kargil, there is a target of stocking of 49363 quintals of atta/wheat, 5951 quintals of sugar, 106360 quintals of rice, 155000 domestic gas cylinders, 3300 commercial cylinders, 133850 bags of cement and 550000 quintals of other essential commodities for the current year, the meeting was told.
Dorjay directed the concerned agencies not to show any slackness in the supply, dumping, and carriage of essential supplies and building material and the supply should be started early as soon as the road is opened.The Minister said the road is only surface link which connects the mountainous districts of Ladkh and Kargil with rest of the country which remains closed in winter. He stressed upon the concerned departments to maintain coordination with each other so that the mechanism put in place through an efficient supply chain could function smoothly.While participating in the meeting, MLA Zanskar, Aga SyeedBaqir Rizvi has taken up various issue concerning to his constituency including issues of 220 KV transmission line from Kargil to Zanskar, immediate installation of 750 KV DG set at Sanku, enhancement of wages of casual labour working in forest department and early opening of Zojila and Penzila pass for vehicular.The Minister assured in the meeting that on opening of road to Zanskar the PDD department shall start execution of 220 KV line from Kargil and other issues would also be looked into.