Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 23: Putting up brave face, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, has decided to shortly re-start work on irrigation scheme along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Nyoma block which was abandoned by the contractor following intimidations from the Chinese troops in the month of July this year.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that keeping in view the serious concern of the people of several villages along the Line of Actual Control over the abandoning of work on Kuyul-Gomba-Yardol-Thuksey Irrigation Scheme during the past over two months, the Chief Executive Councilor (CEC) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Rigjin Spalbar convened a meeting of the officers of Public Works Department and Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) at headquarters of Nyoma block today.
Following threadbare discussion on the issue, it was finally decided that LAHDC would get the work on ambitious irrigation scheme sanctioned under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) re-started shortly so that people could reap the benefit of the scheme as early as possible, sources said.
“Within next few days, the contractor will start mobilizing the men and machinery to the site of the project and try to carry out as much as work he can before the onset of severe winter in the district”, they said, adding “the contractor has been assured that adequate security will be provided to the work force so that Chinese Army don’t try to again intimidate the labourers”.
The Kuyul-Gomba-Yardol-Thuksey irrigation scheme was sanctioned under Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in 2005-06 at the cost of Rs 63.80 lakh but its fate is hanging in balance despite lapse of six years.
Under the scheme, water is to be lifted from Indus River and released in the 3.5 kilometers long canal to provide irrigation facility to 400 hectares of area. Till today, only 1.70 kilometer portion of the canal has been constructed and headwork was going on before its abandoning at the intimidations of the Chinese Army.
When contacted, Chief Executive Councilor, Rigjin Spalbar, confirmed that LAHDC has decided to re-start work on the irrigation scheme very shortly. “We have conveyed our decision to the senior officers of the 14 Corps as well as Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) with the request to increase the patrolling in the Phuckey area”, he added.
“The Chinese Army has no business to interfere in the execution of this irrigation scheme, which was sanctioned by the Government of India under the BADP scheme, as well as other developmental works in the areas along the Line of Actual Control”, the CEC said, adding “we cannot deprive the people of border areas like Phuckey of their right to development. Moreover, there is no justification in watching the situation with crossed fingers when we are carrying out work in our territory”.
In response to a question, Mr Spalbar said, “the 14 Corps, ITBP and the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir might have taken up the issues projected by LAHDC in its separate communications to them about the Chinese intimidations with the Government of India”.
The people of villages along the LAC are of the opinion that if the China considers Indus River as the border between two nations, it should restrain its Army from creating impediments in the execution of developmental works on this side of river.
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