STATE TIMES NEWS
Leh: A comprehensive departmental review meeting was chaired by the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Kavinder Gupta, at the LG Secretariat, where progress across key sectors was thoroughly assessed and future priorities were clearly outlined.
Among those present were Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, DGP Ladakh Mukesh Singh, Administrative Secretaries- Dr L Franklin, Sanjit Rodrigues, PT Rudra Goud, Bhupesh Chaudhary, Shashanka Ala, Bhanu Prabha, Michael D’Souza, Deputy Commissioner Kargil Rakesh Kumar, Directors, Heads of Departments, and other senior officials.
Following discussion on the outcomes and deliverables of the last review meeting, the Administrative Secretaries apprised about budget allocation and utilisation, alongside status updates on Prime Minister Development Package (PMDP), Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) of Power Development Department, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) and Central Road Infrastructure Funds (CRIF) projects, BSNL’s 4G saturation drive, renewable power initiatives, Health and Medical Education infrastructure progress, Vibrant Villages Programme implementation, Leh-Kargil Master Plans, Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) adoption by Ladakh Police, Ease of Doing Business initiatives, tourism development efforts, Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and cooperatives empowerment, extension of PM Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY), prison reforms, manpower optimisation, CSR utilisation, departmental event sponsorships, and renovation works at monasteries and heritage sites across Ladakh.
There was deliberation on extension of PMFBY and PMKSY to provide crop insurance to farmers against disasters, with corpus funds proposed for horticulture crop protection from untimely snowfall or rainfall. There were also discussions on recruitment drives for gazetted, UT, and district cadre posts, including feasibility of examination centres outside Ladakh for candidates’ convenience; awareness outreach for disability reservations, supported by organisations like PAGIR, alongside counselling for drug-affected youth through Health Department psychiatrists and activation of Drug Deaddiction Centres in Leh and Kargil by Social Welfare Department. Early notification of Development Authorities to enforce municipal laws against haphazard urban growth in Leh and Kargil, reservations for persons with disabilities, ex-servicemen, ex-Agniveer, and ex-SPOs in government jobs and prioritisation of renovation of heritage sites and monasteries by Tourism and Culture Department were also discussed in the meeting.
Other key matters discussed during the meeting included inter-departmental collaboration for border villages’ development under Vibrant Villages Programme, incorporating small infrastructure like quarters and boundary walls for holistic progress under the programme, with scheme convergence through Rural Development Department; compilation of mobile tower data and identification of dark spots for 4G saturation, identification of emergency mitigation projects like flood embankments for timely relief of villagers, expected power demand surge post-Zoji La tunnel completion, optimum manpower utilisation and CSR effectiveness. He also asked the Chief Secretary for regular review of decisions taken in the meeting, asking all departments to present clear, outcome-oriented, and measurable progress reports at the next review meeting.
