Ladakh to fully turn to organic farming soon

Our Correspondent

Leh, February 14

A two-day general council meeting of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Leh, concluded here on Friday. The meeting was held to review the physical and financial achievements under the Capex Budget 2019-2020.

The meeting was held under the chairmanship of Chief Executive Councillor of the Leh LAHDC Gyal P Wangyal. On behalf of the council, executive councillor for agriculture Phuntsog Stanzin, expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for sharing his vision of developing Ladakh as a carbon neutral region, which he had talked about during the recently concluded Budget session in the Lok Sabha.

He said entire Ladakh would turn to organic farming by 2025. He said a policy titled, the Mission Organic Development Initiative, was ready for implementation and a project worth Rs 500 crore for implementation of MODI was proposed for the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Deputy Chairman Tsering Sandup told the general council that the Union Government had sanctioned Rs 323 crore for establishing a medical college for Leh and Rs 47.25 crore for the National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa in Leh as an autonomous organisation under the Ministry of AYUSH.

He also said SNM Hospital, Leh, was now known as the best district hospital in the country in medical care despite the challenges in Ladakh.

To improve the medical facilities with the efforts of the Leh council, the Airports Authority of India under its corporate social responsibility schemes has sanctioned an MRI machine worth Rs 11 crore for SNM Hospital, Leh.

Upper Leh councillor Ven Lobzang Nyantak urged the council to take care of the old monks and nuns dwelling in all monasteries of Ladakh. He said there was no specific government policy to take care of their health and welfare.

As councillors expressed concern over the reservation of seats for Ladakhi students in medical, engineering and postgraduate courses in Jammu and Kashmir universities, Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal told the meeting that he had already met J&K Lt Governor GC Murmu recently regarding the continuation of reservation for students of Ladakh.

‘No policy for welfare of old monks, nuns’

Upper Leh councillor Ven Lobzang Nyantak urged the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, to take care of the old monks and nuns dwelling in all monasteries of Ladakh. He said there was no specific government policy to take care of their health and welfare

Boost to healthcare

Deputy Chairman of the council Tsering Sandup told the general council that the Union Government had sanctioned Rs 323 crore for establishing a medical college for Leh and Rs 47.25 crore for the National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa in Leh