Leh, Feb 12, 2025: A delegation from Chushul comprising Councillor, Chushul, Konchok Stanzin and Sonam Yangchan called on the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd), at the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat. Commissioner/Secretary to the HLG, Dr L Franklin, IAS and Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Santosh Sukhadeve, IAS, were present in the meeting.

Councillor Konchok Stanzin apprised the HLG of the issue faced by Sonam Yangchan due to the non-payment of fees for the land leased by Indo-Tibetan Border Force (ITBF) since the 1960s till 2023 as no written agreement was signed between the two parties. He requested the HLG’s intervention to resolve the issue and help Sonam Yangchan get her dues.

Councillor Konchok also requested the HLG’s intervention in enhancing the monthly pension provided to persons with disabilities and widows and also in getting a no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Wildlife Department by issuing necessary instructions to the concerned authorities to conduct the third edition of Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon in the latter half of February 2025.  

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The HLG asked Councillor Konchok Stanzin to write to the concerned ITBF official to provide a reply on the non-payment of dues for the land leased by them, failing which the issues would be taken up with their office head. Stating that enhancement of pensions is subject to the availability of funds, the HLG informed about the deduction in budgetary allocation to UT Ladakh by the Government of India for the year 2025-26. He instructed Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF) Brij Mohan Sharma, IFoS, to provide NOC for conducting Frozen Pangong Lake Marathon after proper assessment of the frozen lake and getting certification from concerned authorities that the frozen lake would hold up during the event for the safety of the participants.

A delegation comprising part-time sweepers from the Education Department led by Mohd Hassan called on the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd), at the LG Secretariat. Commissioner/Secretary to HLG, Dr L Franklin, IAS; Secretary, School Education, Bhanu Prabha, IAS and Director, Finance, Dr Safdar Ali, IRS, were present in the meeting.

Mohd Hassan informed the HLG that more than 900 part-time sweepers are working at different schools in Ladakh who are paid a mere Rs 50 per month for their services. He requested the HLG’s intervention in the enhancement of their salaries.

Director, Finance, Dr Safdar Ali, IRS, informed the HLG about the committee constituted for the enhancement of salaries of daily wagers along with part-time employees based on the minimum wages to be paid to skilled/unskilled/highly skilled employees. He also apprised the HLG of the issue in implementing the recommendations due to the shortage of funds due to the cut in budget by the Government of India.

Expressing his concern over salaries paid to part-time employees, the HLG asked the Director Finance to reconvene the meeting of the said Committee and suggested paying salaries to these part-time employees on an hourly basis to do justice to them.

Vice-President, Ladakh Buddhist Association, Kunzes Dolma called on the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd), at the LG Secretariat. Commissioner/Secretary to the HLG, Dr L Franklin, IAS and Secretary, School/Higher Education, Bhanu Prabha, IAS, were present in the meeting.

Kunzes Dolma apprised the HLG of the training programmes in geothermal, gender equality studies and training and fisheries, etc. at the GRO Centre for fellows fully sponsored by the Iceland government. She requested the HLG to send fellows to attend the said programme for the benefit of the UT Administration.

The HLG asked Secretary Bhanu Prabha to find employees/fellows with expertise in the said fields who can attend the programme and execute the learnings for the benefit of the UT Administration and the people of Ladakh.