Excelsior Correspondent
LEH, June 13: The two- day General Council Meeting to discuss the draft of annual budget plan 2016-17, commenced here today under the chairmanship of CEC, LAHDC, Dr Sonam Dawa.
Minister for Cooperatives, J&K Chhering Dorjey and MP Ladakh, Thupstan Chhewang were also present in the meeting, wherein the Executive Councilors put forth in the house the budget allocation of the respective departments under their portfolio for the year 2016-17. The meeting was attended by the DC, Leh Prasanna Ramaswamy G, Executive Councilors, Councilors and all the HoDs.
The meet stressed the need to have pre budget meeting while Dr Dawa expressed the need to modify the drafting of plan in future and DC also suggested dividing the total budget allocation percentage wise to each department as per need and priority.
Other important point raised in the meeting, was to reduce subsidies by curtailing budget allocation from subsidy component considering less expenditure as per its allocation. MP Ladakh supported on diverting subsidy money to develop other important departments like Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal Husbandry, etc to ensure a self-reliant Ladakh. Minister Cooperative expressed dismay over the cut in total budget allocation to Leh district under regular scheme and advocated to cut subsidy phase wise.
In the meeting, it was decided to put a complete ban on fishing in the district. CEC also ensured to take up the suggestion of making existing animal dispensary run in parallel to human hospital and upgrade it to district animal dispensary. The house also decided ending department’s subsidy on polythenes for green house purposes and outsourcing it to LREDA and NGOs ensuring accountability and credibility of the manufacturing company. The need to compensate farmers in Sham side whose fruit production was almost destroyed, was also discussed and CEC informed that compensation process has been started.
Minister Cooperatives instructed HoD-DIC, Leh to allot land in industrial area only on the approval of Council and urged that it has to be given to unemployed local youth on first priority.
Dr Dawa gave full assurance to the House to motivate local young entrepreneurs in all possible ways and transparent allocation of land in industrial area. Dorjey Lakrook stressed on taking Tourism Department as any other Government department under preview of Council and said that all tourism related development projects and disposal of funds should be decided by Council considering its need and feasibility.
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