UT Admn, Council Reps in touch with Central leadership
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 7: The budgetary cut imposed in the Union Territory of Ladakh including twin Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil is expected to be restored during Revised Estimates of the budget.
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It has reliably been learnt by the Excelsior that the UT administration of Ladakh as well as Chairpersons-cum-CECs of the Hill Councils have repeatedly taken up the issue with the Union Ministries of Finance and Home and things have moved in positive direction during past few days.
“There have been strong indications that the budgetary cuts will be restored, either fully or close to full amount, in the Revised Estimates whenever drafted by the Union Finance Ministry,” the sources said, adding there has been almost consensus on this in the Finance and Home Ministries.
However, expenditures by the Union Territory administration as well the Hill Councils of Leh and Ladakh will be reviewed before taking a decision on restoration of budgetary cuts, they said.
Chairman-cum-CEC Leh Hill Council Tashi Gyalson is in New Delhi meeting Central leaders. He met Minister of Road, Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari yesterday and is expected to call on more Ministers,
Lieutenant Governor Ladakh Kavinder Gupta during his meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah last week in New Delhi had also taken up the issue of budgetary cut restoration and was assured that it will be done. Moreover, expenditure on development and other works has also been good this financial year.
Elections to Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council are also due in October this year unless five new districts are formally created before announcement of the elections. Creation of five new districts before the polls, which is widely being anticipated, could lead to delay in the elections as three new districts will be carved out of Leh district. Two new districts have been created out of Kargil district.
Presently, the Union Territory of Ladakh has only two districts-Leh and Kargil. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs had in August last year announced five new districts for the UT which could be formally created any time now as all formalities for their creation have been completed.
In budgetary grant of Ladakh for the year 2025-26, the Finance Ministry had reduced the funding of the UT of Ladakh by Rs 1266 crore in total. In view of this, the UT Ladakh administration reduced budget of both the Hill Councils by around Rs 90 crore each.
This had resulted into resentment among the Councilors who felt that reduction in Capital expenditure budget will hit development in Ladakh.
As soon as the budgetary cuts were announced in the budget in February, the UT administration took up the issue with Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The Chairpersons of Hill Councils and the BJP leaders later also met the Finance Minister and other representatives of the Central Government seeking restoration of cut in the budget.
The Leh Council is being ruled by the BJP for last two consecutive terms. However, the National Conference is in power in Kargil Hill Development Councils.
During her four days visit to Ladakh in the middle of June, the Finance Minister assured that the Central Government is committed to infrastructure development and tourism promotion in the Union Territory.
Meanwhile, Chairman/ CEC, LAHDC Leh Tashi Gyalson, along with Deputy Chairman Tsering Angchuk and Councillors Rigzin Lundup and Tsering Sangdup, met Union Minister for Road, Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi last evening.
The delegation raised the issue of the Shatse Taknak bridge and informed the Minister that the UT Administration’s supplementary list has given priority to the Disket-Burma Bridge over River Shayok at Shatse and it also remains a key priority for the Hill Council.
They sought the Minister’s intervention for its inclusion in the CRIF supplementary list.
Various other issues related to road and bridge infrastructure in Leh district were also discussed. The delegation extended gratitude to the Minister for his continued support to Ladakh and for the allocation of Rs 931 crore under CRIF for the current financial year.
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