MP demands 3 helicopters for UT Ladakh

Excelsior Correspondent

LEH, Dec 11: Demanding helicopter service, MP Ladakh JamyangTsering Namgyal today alleged that Ganderbal administration and Police sent back more than 300 Ladakh bound stranded vehicles towards Srinagar after fierce lathicharge and allowed selected vehicles to move towards Ladakh from Sonamarg.
“The administration of Ganderbal has not made any arrangement of food, shelter and heating for these drivers and passengers at Sonamarg, instead they tortured them,” said the MP during Zero Hour in the Parliament and requested the Union Home Mister to intervene and make arrangement to pass all these stranded vehicles and passenegrs towards Kargil and Leh.
MP JTN said that he has also taken up the matter with LG J&K G C Murmu and sought his personal intervention in this Zojjila Issue.
Giving reference of the snow bound areas of Ladakh, MP said: “Drass, Zanskar, Sankoo, Itchoo, Rangdum and Batalik areas of Kargil district, and Waris-Fastan & Largyap-Pachathang of Nubra, Changthan and Singey Lalaok etc areas of Leh district, which remain cut-off from own Block and Tehsil headquarters during winter, suffer lots of problem to carry out the schemes, program and development activities of Government as well as relief and rescue operation for civilians. In Ladakh, people have to face problems particularly during winters due to its alienation from rest of the world through surface connectivity after the blockage of the Kargil Srinagar Road at Zojjila.” He requested the Home Minister to sanction one Helicopter for each Districts of Leh and Kargil and one for emergency services.
The MP further pointed out that despite being one of the strategically important National Highway, the NH!D connecting UT Ladakh with UT J&K remains cut off for six months due to heavy snowfall and landslides at Zojjila and adjoining places.
It is pertinent to mention here that Defence Minstry has already sanctioned a pilot project of Ladakh Rescue Center to Keep Zojjila open during winter while the Government has retaken Kargil Airport in Udan 4 for rebidding it as Priority Airport.