Jammu, Sep 17 : According to Lieutenant Governor Brigadier (Retd) B D Mishra, Ladakh has seen “unbelievable” changes “for the better” since the repeal of Article 370 of the Constitution, and he is confident that within a few years it would be the most developed Union Territory in the entire nation. In addition to making Ladakh “corruption-free and delay-free,” Mishra, who assumed leadership of Ladakh in February, said generating appropriate jobs for people and ensuring that future generations do not experience water scarcity are among his top goals. According to him, more than 5.31 lakh tourists travelled to the Union Territory last year, which has a population of about 2.75 lakh.In an exclusive interview the Lt Governor said, “I have been there (in Ladakh) for seven months and there is a sea change in terms of development, in people’s outlook, in the benefit (being extended to the people), and also in the comfort of living.” According to him, the local people has objectives in the domains of agriculture, horticulture, pisciculture, sericulture, and animal husbandry, all of which are developing. Mishra claimed that although infrastructure like roads, bridges, tunnels, helipads, and airports is being created quickly, the people of Ladakh are stepping up to launch enterprises.Only when the Constitution’s Article 370 was repealed in August 2019 and Ladakh was separated from Jammu and Kashmir to become a Union Territory on October 31 of that same year was this made possible, according to him. Before that, there were protests during which people called for the declaration of Ladakh as a Union Territory. The L-G asserted that it was because “people were neglected and out on a limb” and that development was given the least amount of priority. The former soldier claimed to have his priorities in order.According to Mishra, the top aim is to prevent water shortages for future generations. We live on hills, therefore water is plentiful below… Ladakh should never have a water shortage, I want to make sure of that. The creation of jobs for the people of Ladakh, particularly startups, is the next priority, he stated. “I have had over 600 vacancies in the police and civil service announced, and the process is ongoing, but there is a Supreme Court case pending regarding 800 positions. The L-G declared, “The changes are astonishing and for the better with the way Ladakh is developing and the way the people are being cared for.Mishra stated that prior to the repeal of Article 370, Ladakh was a part of the former state of Jammu and Kashmir and the local populace had no voice.
“There was just one hill council, and it had little authority. We currently have two councils, one in each of the districts of Leh and Kargil. Both of these councils are working properly. We are giving them authority, he declared.
Mishra claimed that he had requested the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which oversees all inventions and efforts involving high altitudes, to visit each farmer and discuss their technologies and programmes with them.In the fields of agriculture and horticulture, “many entrepreneurs have emerged and they are producing things that have never happened,” he remarked. According to the L-G, the administration has created an apricot blossom festival that is drawing people from abroad. In Ladakh, tourism is a highly important issue. Our population is 2.75 lakh, and 5.31 lakh tourists visited us in the previous year. You can easily picture how quickly things are going. As a Union Territory, Ladakh, according to the Lt. Governor, has a highly promising future.“I think the best thing and the way for Ladakh is to be a union territory,” he said. “The way the progress is happening, Ladakh has a very bright future. Leh itself is at 11,500 feet altitude and the other places which are equally high, and given the climate, limited population, dispersion, and also the local economy. It will undoubtedly be the most developed Union Territory in India during the next few years. I am aiming to create a Ladakh that is devoid of corruption and delays, he claimed.
