VoL Desk, March 24: The Department-Related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has recommended that the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) increase the budgetary allocations for the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council and Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council during the Financial Year 2023-24 for infrastructure development in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The Parliamentary Panel has also emphasized the need to improve administrative outreach and public service delivery system by creating additional administrative posts and units in the Union Territory.

In its report presented in the Lok Sabha, the Standing Committee comprising of 31 Members of Parliament has noted that the budgetary allocation for the Leh Autonomous Hill Development Council was reduced to Rs 334.68 crore in Budget Estimates 2023-24, compared to Rs 754.53 crore at Revised Estimates 2022-23, while for the Kargil Autonomous Hill Development Council, the allocation was reduced to Rs 333.32 crore in Budget Estimates 2023-24, compared to Rs 756.37 crore at Revised Estimates 2022-23.

* Click to Follow Voice of Ladakh on WhatsApp *

The Parliamentary Panel has recommended that the budgetary allocations for both Hill Councils be enhanced at the Revised Estimates stage as devolution of financial power to the LAHDCs will aid them in executing their developmental projects.

The Panel also stated that there is a need to strengthen the administrative institutions and infrastructure by creating more districts, tehsils, and devolving financial and administrative powers to the local administrative units.

Additionally, the Panel has suggested that the UT Administration conduct a feasibility study for harnessing renewable energy sources like solar and wind power to cater to the power requirement of the UT, and for that, it may seek the Ministry of New & Renewable Energy’s assistance.

The Committee has also recommended expediting the construction of the Medical College in Ladakh by removing administrative bottlenecks and commencing academic activities from the existing hospital of the UT so that medical students of the UT can get the option of pursuing medical education.

Moreover, the Committee has urged the MHA to take up the matter of commencing commercial flights from Kargil airport with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and explore the establishment of airports at Nubra, Nyoma, and Zanskar to improve connectivity, considering the UT’s large size and difficult topography.