KARGIL, AUGUST 15, 2022: The 76th Independence Day was today celebrated with great enthusiasm at Kargil with immense patriotic zeal and gaiety. Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), LAHDC, Kargil, Feroz Ahmad Khan hoisted the national flag at Khree Sultan Chow Sports Stadium Biamathang and took the salute.

Contingents of Ladakh Police, Police band party, male and female students of different schools of Kargil participated in the flag hoisted ceremony.

Executive Councilor for Health Mohsin Ali, Executive Councilor for Horticulture Aga Syed Mehdi Fazili, Deputy Commissioner and CEO, LAHDC, Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve, SSP Kargil Anayat Ali Choudhary, Director RD&PRD Tahir Hussain Zubdavi, Joint Director Information Ladakh Imteeaz Kacho, ASP Kargil Iftikhar Choudhary and other district officers and officials of different departments, civil society members, people in huge numbers were present during the occasion.

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Councilors of LAHDC, Kargil and officers from the Army also graced the occasion.

After hoisting the national flag, the CEC Khan in his address congratulated people on the 76th Independence Day and recalled the supreme sacrifices of the national heroes who laid down their lives for the country.

“Today is the day when after years of British slavery our great leaders gave us the opportunity to live an independent, peaceful and dignified life. I appreciate the courage of all the freedom fighters and leaders who fought for the freedom of our great nation,” he said while addressing the huge gathering.

He said the historic event which took place on August 15, 1947, convinced Indians all over the globe and forced the British imperial power to its knees.

“This day inspires us to take our country to new heights of development and prosperity for which patriotism, sacrifice and tireless efforts are essential. And because of these qualities, our great leaders sacrificed their today for our tomorrow and gave us a chance to breathe in a free and prosperous country. Therefore, this auspicious day is a symbol of the fulfillment of their dreams. And today they deserve utmost respect,” he said.

He said true respect for the leaders will be possible only when we follow the principles of patriotism and develop the spirit of self-sacrifice and hard work for the development and prosperity of the country.

Khan said it is our duty to spread the principles of democracy and equality in the country and society.

He said August 16 is a symbol of our belief in the freedom, unity and security of the nation adding that it has a glorious history that every Indian is proud of. This day will always be remembered in the history of India.

He mentioned great freedom leaders who dedicated their lives for the freedom of the country including Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bhosh, Jawaharlal Nehru, Ashfaullah Khan, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Baghat Singh, Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan, Dr Zakir Hussain,Rani Lakshmi Bhai etc. are worth mentioning.

CEC Khan also saluted the veteran soldiers and security forces of the country and paid tributes to them in strong words. He said that the martyrs sacrificed their lives day and night for the security of the country.

Khan said this year, Kargil is celebrating Har Ghar Tiranga campaign under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrut Mahotsav under which a special tricolor program is being conducted across our country from August 13 to 15.

Expressing his happiness he said the campaign is being successfully celebrated in Kargil and people are actively participating in it. He said the national flags were hoisted with nationalist fervor at residential houses, shops, markets, vehicles and all government buildings, which shows the patriotism in the hearts of people.

While highlighting the developmental measures and achievements of the LAHDC Kargil, CEC said the council is committed overall development of Kargil district so that the district sets new heights of development in coming years. He said substantial results have also been obtained in different sectors.

The CEC construction on Ladakh Bhawan Kargil Wing in Delhi for said for the students, patients and visitors of Kargil district is in full swing while the construction work is expected to be completed at a cost Rs 15 cr and 60 lakh.

He said its foundation stone was laid by Governor of UT Ladakh RK Mathur on July 03. After the construction of this Bhawan, accommodation facilities will be available, especially for patients, students, and travelers of the district.

Khan said recently, there have been incidents of cloudbursts in various villages of Kargil district, which caused damage to standing crops, trees, and irrigation canals and damaged public property and livestock.

He expressed sympathy with all the affected families and informed that temporary rehabilitation of irrigation canals, roads and bridges has been started. He added that the issue of reconstruction and rehabilitation has been taken up with the UT Administration.

Khan thanked the Department of Finance, Mechanical Division, Irrigation and  Flood Control Department, PHE, PDD, Police Department, NHIDCL and other related departments, agencies, all voluntary organizations especially Basij Baqiullah, Anjuman Sahib-ul-Zaman Sanko who worked tirelessly day and night for providing relief to the affected families.

While talking about the education sector, he said LAHDC Kargil provided free-of-cost coaching facilities to 300 selected candidates of the district under the Hill Council subsidy component for SSC candidates at a cost of Rs 33 lakhs. Khan said free transport, accommodation and food was also arranged to bring all the candidates to the various examination centers.

He thanked Deputy Commissioner and CEO, LAHDC, Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve and other officers, transporters, student union, especially SEMOK, with the help of which nearly 3,000 SSC aspirants were transported to various examination centers in Srinagar and Jammu cities.

Khan said the Hill Council is committed to improving the quality of education in the district. He said order to rationalize the ratio of teachers in the schools, teachers have been posted in schools where enrollment was high and there was shortage of teachers.

Khan said teachers will be appointed on temporary basis to meet the shortage of specific teachers of various subjects in the Education Department.

The CEC said apart from this, 7 buses have already been provided at a cost of Rs 1.75 cr to provide better transport facilities to the school children adding that they are planning to provide 6 more buses this year.

Khan said a mobile science laboratory at a cost of Rs 50 lakh has also been started in order to improve the laboratory facilities for the students.

The CEC said they are fully aware of the problems of the educated unemployed youths of the district. In this regard, he said, notification will be issued soon to fill up vacant posts at the district level in several departments.

He said health is one of the priorities of the council and they are trying to provide better health care facilities to the people by streamlining and making hospitals and medical centers operational throughout the district.

CEC said in this regard, with the support of NHPC, 2 oxygen plants with a capacity of 500 LPM have been installed in Sankoo and District Hospital Kargil at a cost of rupees 42 lakh while mobile dispensary facilities of Rs 1 cr have also been started.

While sharing the achievements of the COVID-19 vaccination, he said a total of 31,797 doses have been given so far in the district under booster dose of COVID-19 vaccination drives.

Khan expressed sincere gratitude to voluntary organization—Save the Children for establishing a pediatric ward in District Hospital Kargil at a cost of Rs 2 cr.

He also said that they planning to shift few departments of the existing district hospital Kargil to a 300-beded hospital in Kurbathang.

With the aim to ensure uninterrupted water supply in Kargil town under PHE sector, Khan said a project of Rs 33.90 cr under the SDP scheme has been sanctioned while survey research, digital mapping and other measures have been taken.

He also mentioned that under Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, a reservoir was constructed at Bagh Khomeini at a cost of Rs 6.42 cr and stands completed after which the water supply will improve in Kargil town. Khan also said that work on 75 Hand Pup Drilling has been completed at different places of the district at a cost of Rs 4 cr.

The CEC said drinking water has been provided to 9444 families out of 19295 of the district under the Jal Jeevan Scheme (JJM) scheme.

He said apart from this, construction works of water supply scheme at 946 places in 125 villages are in the final stage of completion.

He said in order to ensure 24/7 drinking water supply in Kargil town, Urban Local Bodies started survey work on a project costing Rs 261 cr with the help of consultants. After the completion of this project, the supply of water in Kargil town will be available 24/7.

Apart from this, Khan said survey on a project under Sewerage Treatment Plant at a cost of Rs 130 cr has been completed and work on this project will be started soon.

In PWD sector, CEC said the construction of roads had been taken up across the district under CRF at a cost of Rs 120 cr and works are going on war footing basis.

Khan said under PMGSY, 23 new schemes at a cost of Rs 220 cr have started after approval which will provide better facilities to the common people.

The CEC said in view of increasing demands of passengers and patients in Srinagar, construction has been on an additional block at a cost of Rs 8 cr and it will be completed by October this year.

Khan also said a girls’ hotel is also being constructed at a cost of Rs 10 cr which will make hotel facilities available to female students in Jammu. He hoped that the construction work will be completed by the end of this year.

He also said that the UT Administration and Hill Council Kargil have constructed helipads at 7 different places to provide helicopter service to the people of villages especially during the winter season.

To expand helicopter services in the district, Khan said works on helipads at various places including Tangole, Sankoo and Barsoo at the cost of Rs 2.67 cr and works till landing pad level stand completed.

CEC Khan said most of people in Kargil district are engaged in agriculture and other allied sectors which are the main source of income for them.

He said in this context, the Hill Council is establishing 19 Milk Dairy Units and 2947 Poultry Units in the district at a cost of Rs 25 cr under subsidy component and also providing 589 different units of high quality for breeding.

Khan said in view of draught situation in the district, this year the council plans to provide 7,750 quintals of grass, straw and fodder to the affected.

He CEC also said the council is constructing 2 Veterinary Hospitals at a cost of Rs 2 cr 20 lakh at Pani Khar and Sankoo to promote livestock in the district.

Khan also said that the Hill Council is also planning to construct 141 residential houses for BPL families in various villages of the district.

To promote traditional sports, ice hockey and archery, he said they are providing equipment to youth.

Khan also said that welfare schemes are also being started under the subsidy component through Tourism, Rural Development, Horticulture, Agriculture, Handloom etc.

Apart from this, he said construction work of 160 Ladakh Greenhouses has been completed under the district plan to further increase the production of fresh vegetables in, especially in winter and more Ladakh greenhouses are being constructed this year at a cost of 13 crore rupees.

In order to improve winter sports in the district, Khan said construction work on the international standard level Ice Hockey Rink at Kurbathang at a cost of Rs 37 cr is undergoing in full swing and the construction work will be completed soon.

The CEC said the construction of Synthetic Track and AstroTurf at a cost of Rs 18 cr is also in full swing and it will have modern indoor football ground and other indoor game facilities and indoor sports by Sports Council of India will be made available.

Apart from this he said construction on Ice Hockey Rink at Bemathang is undergoing and it will also be equipped with all the required facilities.

Khan also mentioned that the work on both sides of Zojila tunnel and on both the ventilation shafts is going in full swing.

He said till date, the construction work of 1852 meters from Minamarg side and 1780 meters from Baltal side of the tunnel has been completed.

Khan thanked the Government of India especially the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari for continuing the work on Zojila in a speedy manner and hoped that the work on the tunnel will be completed on set timeline.

The CEC also congratulated Anwar Hussain, who got a place in Indian Foreign Service by achieving excellent success in the UPSC examination and made his parents along with people of Kargil proud.

Khan said the UPSC qualifier has become an inspiration for the students of Kargil and they should also work hard and take part in competitive examinations of the country.

He on behalf of people of Kargil congratulated SSP Kargil Anayat Ali Choudhary for receiving the prestigious President Police Medal and hailed his contribution in the line of duty.

Khan also thanked Deputy Commissioner and CEO, LAHDC, Kargil Santosh Sukhadeve, SSP Kargil Anayat Ali Choudhary and all district officers for their unconditional support and said they are always ready to serve the people.

The CEC also thanked all those officers for succeeding in spending 94 percent of the budget money in the last financial year (2021-22).

Khan said he is extremely thankful and grateful to the Government of India especially the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who has approved a budget of Rs 5958 cr.

He also expressed gratitude to Lieutenant Governor UT Ladakh, RK Mathur and the UT Administration Ladakh for giving special support in the developmental works of Kargil district.

CEC Khan also expressed gratitude to the Executive Councilors, Councilors and BDC Members for their encouragement, efforts and support.

“Their sympathetic and sincere cooperation and heartfelt sympathy is the result that today we are able to speed up development activities in the district,” he said.

Khan also said that he is grateful to the media professionals who are working in the district and are playing an important role in publicizing the events and development works happening in the district.

He requested people of Kargil, especially all religious, political and social organizations to support the Hill Council in making Kargil district prosperous and developed.

Khan also requested them to maintain peace and brotherhood in the district so that uniform development is possible. “My heartfelt prayer is that God will grant us all success and give us the opportunity to serve our nation and country,” he said.

Later, the CEC and other dignitaries distributed mementos and certificates among officials, students, police officials and NGOs for their extraordinary contribution and exemplary public safety and welfare.

UPSC Civil Services qualifier Anwar Hussain was also felicitated on the occasion and appreciated for his hard work and dedication. Prizes were also given to participants of the flag hoisting ceremony.

Meanwhile, Independence Day celebrations were also held at Sub Division Zanskar where SDM Sonam Dorjay hoisted the national flag and took salute on the march past at Sports Stadium Padum.

At Zanskar, the Independence Day function was attended by all heads of the departments of the subdivision, Padma Shri awardee Tsultrim Chonjor, Councilor Cha constituency, nominated Councilor, LAHDC, Kargil, BDC Padum and Karsha, SE Tourism Development Authority, Sarpanches and Panches, president of ZBA, ZGA and Anjuman-e-Moinul Islam.

Independence Day was also celebrated with great enthusiasm at Mini Stadium Sankoo, where the SDM Sankoo Mohd Hanief hoisted the national flag and took salute at the March past. All the sub-divisional level officers and a huge public gathering witnessed the occasion.

Independence Day was celebrated with zeal at Shagaran Headquarter Shakar Chiktan which was attended by a huge public gathering. SDM Chakar Chiktan, Mohd Sharif who was the chief guest hoisted the tricolour and took salute at the march past.