Unbelievable changes in Ladakh after Art 370 abrogation, says L-G

PTI

Jammu, September 17

Ladakh witnessed “unbelievable changes for the better” since the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, Lieutenant Governor Brigadier BD Mishra (retd) has said, exuding confidence that it would be the most developed Union Territory in the country in the next couple of years.

Mishra, who took over as Ladakh L-G in February, said his priorities included ensuring that the coming generations didn’t face water scarcity and creating adequate jobs for the locals, besides making Ladakh “corruption-free and delay-free”.

Influx of tourists

Ladakh which has a population of 2.75 lakh saw 5.31 lakh tourists last year. —Brig BD Mishra (retd), L-G

Last year, over 5.31 lakh tourists visited the UT which has a population of around 2.75 lakh, he said. “I have been there (in Ladakh) for seven months now and there is a sea change in terms of development, in people’s outlook, in the benefit (being extended) to the people and also to the comfort of living,” the L-G said recently.

The local population has ambitions in agriculture, horticulture, pisciculture, sericulture, and animal husbandry sectors which are making progress, he said.

Mishra said the people of Ladakh are coming forward in setting up startups while infrastructures such as roads, bridges, tunnels, helipads and airports are being developed at a rapid speed. This has been possible only after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019 when Ladakh was carved out of J&K and became a UT on October 31 of that year, he said. Before that, there were agitations with people demanding that Ladakh be declared a UT, he added.

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