Accessibility a problem in Ladakh: L-G Mathur

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 17

Ladakh Lieutenant-Governor (L-G) RK Mathur has said that the arid region has been facing a number of challenges in the realisation of its full potential, particularly in terms of road accessibility and telecom connectivity.

Mathur said this while speaking at the inaugural session on “Creating a Sustainable Future for J&K and Ladakh-New Opportunities for an Inclusive and Green development” of the annual conference-2020 organised by the Indian National Association for the Club of Rome (CoR), a non-profit organisation, established in 2011, in New Delhi on Thursday.

The conference was aimed at providing a suitable platform to highlight the potential for sustainable development in Ladakh and to explore measures to mitigate the challenges faced in this endeavour.

The L-G outlined the historic importance of Ladakh as a “self-reliant society” at the cross-roads of the famed Silk Route and highlighted the need for a sustainable future for Ladakh.

He identified tourism, horticulture, pashmina processing, wildlife, aromatic and medicinal plants, renewable energy resources, astronomy as some of the sectors which hold good potential in Ladakh’s growth towards an economically viable and ecologically sustainable society.

Gadkari, while taking cognisance of connectivity issues in Ladakh, ascertained that his ministry was working at resolving these issues, specifically the construction of the Zojila tunnel, at the earliest.

He said the Union government was concentrating on developing small-scale and cottage industries in Ladakh and recommended that a plan for developing the handicraft and handloom sectors of Ladakh might be delineated.