Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Jan 15: Ladakh has witnessed fast-track development under the Modi Government, said Union Minister in PMO with independent charge of Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh while talking to a delegation led by the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) -Kargil Councillor, Stanzin Lakpa which called on him here, today.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, the Central Government has accorded very high priority to the development of Ladakh and welfare of the local population including Buddhists and Tribals, he said.
The delegation conveyed its heartfelt gratitude to PM Modi for rapid development of the mountainous region ever since it was accorded the UT status in October 2019.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, though for the first time a Ladakh delegation had met the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru way back in 1949 seeking separate UT status for the remote region, the dream fructified only seven decades later after PM Modi took over.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, PM Modi accords highest priority and attention to Ladakh, unlike the previous Governments due to which the UT faced decades of neglect and abandonment. For the first time under the Modi Government, Ladakh has been granted a University, Hotel Management Institute and professional Colleges, he said.
Referring to the action plan for “Carbon Neutral” Ladakh as announced by PM Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh said, with a Rs. 50 crore Special Development Package for Ladakh, for the first time any Central Government has been so liberal in funding the various projects for the region.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, an exclusive Examination Centre has been set up at Leh for conducting the UPSC’s Civil Services. “This is not only a significant governance reform but a huge social reform for the job aspirant youth living in remote and far-flung areas,” he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, Ladakh will soon have South East Asia’s first Night Sky Sanctuary at the Night Sky Reserve at Hanle village in Eastern Ladakh as a part of Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary. It will boost Astro-tourism in India and will be one of the world’s highest-located sites for optical, infra-red, and gamma-ray telescopes, he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, the CSIR in the Union Ministry of Science & Technology is promoting “Leh Berry’, which is an exclusive food product of the cold desert. Referring to PM Modi’s visit to Ladakh in May 2018, Dr Jitendra Singh said the Prime Minister has strongly advised promoting Seabuckthorn, which is the source of “Leh Berry”.
The Minister said that commercial cultivation of three medicinal plants is also being promoted at a height of above 15,000 feet. This includes “Sanjeevani Booti”, locally known as “Sola”, which has very high life saving and therapeutic properties.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Department of Atomic Energy will set up facilities in the UT for Gamma Irradiation Technology for preservation/ shelf life extension of fruits and vegetables. He was happy to note that Apricot from Ladakh is now being exported to Dubai and other overseas destinations.
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