Onlykashmir.in News Desk
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated and dedicated five major development projects worth around ₹3,350 crore in Ladakh via video conferencing. The projects are aimed at easing travel, improving electricity and water access and preserving the region’s ancient heritage. Speaking of the enthusiasm of citizens waving the Tricolour amid fresh snowfall in Zanskar, the Prime Minister thanked the engineers, labourers, local workers and Border Roads Organisation personnel who executed the demanding works. “I extend my heartiest congratulations to all the people of Ladakh for these projects,” he said.
The Prime Minister inaugurated the ₹650 crore terminal at Kushok Bakula Rinpoche Airport in Leh, whose foundation stone he had laid earlier. The terminal triples flight capacity and expands annual passenger handling from 10 lakh to 35 lakh. He described it as India’s first terminal to use geothermal heating alongside solar energy, suited to the harsh climate. “Our effort is to develop modern infrastructure in Ladakh while taking full care of the local environment,” he said.
He also dedicated the ₹2,500 crore Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road, which cuts travel time from 12 hours to just 3 hours and is expected to boost trade and business. Building on his earlier inauguration of the Srinagar-Leh transmission line, he dedicated the Hanu hydroelectric project and its associated transmission network, and noted power generation initiatives under way in Puga Valley. For water security, he dedicated 40 reservoirs built under Project Amrit Him Sarovar, which will support irrigation at critical cultivation times.
Reviewing the gains since Ladakh became a Union Territory in 2019, the Prime Minister said the road network has grown from 1,800 kilometres to over 4,000 kilometres, major bridges from 19 to nearly 75, and helipads from 7 to over 40. Tap water coverage has risen from 3.5 percent to nearly 99 percent of households, hospital beds have doubled, and the ongoing Zojila Tunnel is set to provide all-weather connectivity with the rest of the country. “Today, for the Central Government, the development of Ladakh is a top priority,” he said.
He pointed to the promotion of winter and adventure tourism and the upgrading of over 40 border settlements under the Vibrant Villages programme. Homestays have multiplied from roughly 150 to 3,000, and protected cultivation has produced 11,000 greenhouses. He announced that the government approved a High Court Bench for Ladakh in August this year, and cited BharatNet expansion, a Center of Excellence in Leh, proposals for IIT Jammu and IIM Jammu satellite campuses, and a new sports policy as steps to keep young people in the region.
The Prime Minister also highlighted Ladakhi products such as sea-buckthorn, GI-tagged apricots and Changpa Pashmina, saying he has gifted them to leaders including the German Chancellor, the Swedish Prime Minister and the President of Kyrgyzstan. He inaugurated India’s first Petroglyph Conservation Park in Leh to safeguard historic rock art. “Together we all will take Ladakh to new heights of development,” he said.
