Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Saturday lambasted the Congress for allegedly neglecting Ladakh over the past six decades and said various initiatives like railway line and biggest solar park are in the pipeline for the region for its overall development.
She assured all thepending defence issues, including rent for the land which is under the army’suse, would be resolved as she listed out various steps taken by the PrimeMinister Narendra Mod-led government for the region.
The Ladakh region usually remains cut-off from the rest ofthe country for nearly six months annually due to closure of the 434-km longSrinagar-Leh national highway during winter.
“I am not making any promises because it is a violationof the model code of conduct in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. I amspeaking about the initiatives taken by the Modi government for the welfare ofthe people of the Ladakh region,” she said addressing an election rally insupport of party candidate Jamyang Tsering Namgyal here.
Namgyal is locked in a four-cornered contest from the Ladakhseat, where the campaigning ended this evening and the focus shifted to May 6polling which will also decide the fate of Congress candidate Rigzin Spalbarand two independents – Congress rebel and former MLA Asgar Ali Karbalai andjournalist-turned-politician Sajjad Hussain.
“The work on the detailed project report for anall-weather railway line between Himachal Pradesh to Leh has started. Therailway line once completed will provide an all-weather connectivity to theregion which is presently dependent on a road through Kargil which only opensin summer,” the defence minister said.
She said the planning for the biggest solar power park inLeh has already been started by renewable energy which will not only provideelectricity to the region, but also make Jammu and Kashmir energy a surplusstate.
“The prime minister makes it necessary that at leastone minister should visit Northeast because in the Congress’ rule, the regionwas sidelined and no work was done there. Likewise, the Congress dominated thepolitical discourse in Ladakh, but never paid attention to the region for itsdevelopment,” the defence minister claimed.
“The funds were directly given to Ladakh councilsinstead through Srinagar headquarters to avoid delay in the development works.Leh was given more administrative and financial powers to utilise the moneywhich resulted in speeding up of various development works,” Sitharamansaid.
Terming Ladakh as a “very sensitive border region”,she said an all-weather road, which will provide access to the northern borderthroughout the year, linking Leh with Daulat Beg is in the final stages ofcompletion.