Newly-elected Leh councillors meet Union minister Jitendra Singh

Jitendra Singh informed that the Union ministry of science and technology is planning to set up a regional centre of CSIR in Ladakh.

Newly-elected councillors of Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), accompanied by the new chief executive councillor (CEC), Tashi Gyalson, and member of Parliament Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, on Thursday called on Union minister Jitendra Singh in Delhi and held a luncheon meeting with him.

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In the meeting lasting for one-and-half hour, Jitendra Singh referred to Prime Minister Modi’s speech last evening after the declaration of election results in Bihar and other states and quoted the PM as saying that from Ladakh down south up to Karnataka, people have reposed their faith in the government’s agenda of development.

While addressing the delegation, Singh said these elections assume special significance since this was the first electoral exercise after Ladakh became Union territory and in spite of the negative propaganda by the opposition parties, people of Ladakh have once again reposed unflinching faith in Prime Minister. He said Modi gave the highest priority to Ladakh and other hitherto neglected regions including North East and Island territories.

Jitendra Singh informed that the Union ministry of science and technology is planning to set up a regional centre of CSIR (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research) in Ladakh. He said that the Modi government had granted Ladakh a university, a medical college and an engineering college.

Speaking about the connectivity issue of the region, Singh said that with the opening of Atal Tunnel (also known as Rohtang Tunnel) and the under-construction Zoji La Tunnel the all-weather connectivity with this peripheral region will give a big economic and security boost to the region. And this became a reality only under the able leadership and unflinching will of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Union minister also referred to the Rs 50-crore special development package for Ladakh and said this was for the first time that any Central government had been so liberal in funding the various projects for the region. He said this will be the first of its kind roadmap devoted exclusively to the Ladakh region.