Author: The Dispatch Staff

By Sindhiya Gupta The Union Territory of Ladakh is passing through one of the most significant administrative and political transformations in its modern history. Since becoming a Union Territory in October 2019, Ladakh has witnessed a series of reforms intended to improve governance, accelerate development and bring public services closer to people living across one of India’s most geographically challenging regions. The latest proposal to establish Autonomous Hill Development Councils in all seven districts of Ladakh is not merely another administrative measure. It is a landmark step towards institutionalising democratic decentralisation and ensuring that every region receives equal opportunities for…

Leh: In a major move towards democratic decentralisation, the Ladakh administration has announced that Autonomous Hill Development Councils will be established in all seven districts of the Union Territory. Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra said the decision had been taken in response to demands from regions including Sham, Nubra, Zanskar, Dras and Changthang for greater local representation and administrative empowerment. https://youtu.be/yuZccsdKC9s?si=S2qCqR9iOggJqxPP He said Section 3(1) of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Act provides for the establishment of an autonomous council in every district. Necessary legal amendments and delimitation of constituencies will now be undertaken to extend the council system across…

Leh: In a first-of-its-kind enforcement drive in Ladakh, the administration has imposed hefty penalties on tourists for illegal off-roading in ecologically sensitive and protected wildlife areas, signalling a tougher stance against environmental violations in the Union Territory. Acting on the directions of Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, the Wildlife Department of Ladakh has initiated prosecution and imposed a total penalty of ₹2 lakh on four vehicle owners found violating provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Each offender was fined ₹50,000 after being found driving vehicles inside protected wildlife zones and environmentally sensitive areas, including the shores and waters of…

Leh, June 23: Senior IPS officer Anand Jain on Tuesday officially assumed charge as the Director General of Police (DGP) of the Union Territory of Ladakh, taking over the leadership of the region’s police force following his appointment by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA). A 1999-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the AGMUT cadre, Jain has been transferred from Jammu and Kashmir, where he was serving as Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Armed Police. His appointment was announced by the MHA on June 22 and comes into effect immediately. With his joining, Ladakh now gets a full-time…

Leh/Kargil: Expressions of grief poured in from across Ladakh following the sudden and untimely demise of Inspector Mehraj Khalid Giri, with political leaders paying tribute to his service and extending condolences to the bereaved family. Hon’ble Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor, LAHDC Kargil, Dr. Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, expressed deep sorrow over the passing of the police officer and described him as a dedicated officer who served with commitment and honour. Dr. Akhoon conveyed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, especially to his sister Nomo Bilques, and prayed for eternal peace to the departed soul. He also prayed for strength and…

Leh: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Monday posted senior IPS officer Anand Jain as Director General of Police (DGP), Ladakh, with immediate effect. According to an order issued by the MHA as per news agency—Indus Dispatch, Anand Jain, a 1999-batch AGMUT cadre IPS officer, has been transferred from Jammu and Kashmir to Ladakh and will serve as the DGP of the Union Territory until further orders. Jain was serving in Jammu and Kashmir Police and has held several key assignments in the Union Territory, including postings as IGP Jammu Zone, Director Anti-Corruption Bureau and ADGP Armed.

Leh: Ladakh Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Sunday inaugurated a newly created water body under Project Him Sarovar at Spituk Pharka here, paving the way for the commencement of agricultural activities in the region after ages, an official said. This is the first of the four water bodies being created at the site under Project Him Sarovar. Another three water bodies are nearing completion and will be operationalised soon, a spokesperson of the Lok Bhavan said. Saxena, immediately upon assuming charge as LG Ladakh on March 13, had adopted a mission-mode approach to address Ladakh’s water scarcity challenges and…

Leh:  Vice President C P Radhakrishnan on Sunday participated in the International Day of Yoga celebrations here, joining hundreds of yoga enthusiasts at Astro Turf Stadium in Spituk. Ladakh Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena, Ladakh MP Haneefa Jan and chief executive councillor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Mohd Jaffer Akhoon also participated along with senior civil and military officers, students, and members of the public at the event, officials said. The celebrations featured a mass yoga session, with participants performing various ‘asanas’ against the scenic backdrop of the Himalayan mountains. Similar Yoga Day celebrations were organised…

Leh: Marking 100 days in office, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor (LG) Vinai Kumar Saxena on Sunday outlined a series of initiatives undertaken by his administration, asserting that the focus has been on localised, sustainable and scientific solutions to address the region’s unique challenges, while ensuring inclusive development. Saxena assumed charge as Ladakh’s lieutenant governor on March 13, three days after demitting office as the Delhi LG on March 10. “As I complete 100 days of service, as the Lt Governor of UT Ladakh, I reflect on this land’s unparalleled beauty and uniqueness. Ladakh, with its tough geographical terrain and fragile ecosystem,…

Leh: The Department of Tourism, Union Territory of Ladakh, has strongly condemned a recent incident of illegal off-roading inside the ecologically sensitive Changthang Wildlife Sanctuary, near Hanle (Kalak Tartar), terming it a serious violation of wildlife protection laws and responsible tourism norms. According to official reports, a tourist SUV bearing Himachal Pradesh registration number was found engaging in reckless off-road driving and was also seen chasing a Tibetan Gazelle, a near-threatened species. The incident caused significant disturbance to wildlife and damage to the fragile cold desert ecosystem of the high-altitude region. Acting swiftly on the information, the Department of Tourism…

Leh: Vice President C. P. Radhakrishnan on a two-day visit to Ladakh reviewed key water conservation and livelihood initiatives, including the first rock check dam constructed on the Sindhu River at Upshi under the Sindhu Jal Samriddhi Abhiyan. During his visit to Upshi, the Vice President appreciated the eco-friendly and cost-effective intervention, which has been conceptualised and inaugurated last month under the leadership of the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena. The project is aimed at augmenting water availability in shallow stretches of the Sindhu River, enabling farmers to irrigate fields during the critical sowing season. He observed that…

Leh:  The Leh administration reviewed preparations on Friday for the upcoming visit of the 14th Dalai Lama to Ladakh, scheduled for June 28. Officials stressed the need for coordinated efforts to ensure the event proceeds smoothly. Officials said a high-level preparatory meeting was held in Leh between top officials and representatives of various departments and stakeholders, including the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), Ladakh Gonpa Association (LGA), Health Department, Police, Tibetan Refugee representatives and other agencies. The meeting also held discussions to celebrate His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 91st birthday on July 6. Officials said stakeholders discussed security deployment, route planning,…

Leh::  Ladakh Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday described the historic breakthrough of the Zoji La Tunnel as a “game changer” for the Union Territory, saying it will revolutionise connectivity and drive the region’s development. Calling the project a dream initiative of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Lt Governor said the tunnel will provide year-round connectivity between Ladakh and the rest of India while significantly improving access to border areas. “The historic breakthrough of Zoji La Tunnel, a dream project of the prime minister, will prove to be a game changer in the development journey of Ladakh. This would…

Minimarg (Ladakh), Jun 9 (PTI) Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday described the breakthrough in the Zojila tunnel as a golden day in the infrastructure history of the country, saying the project would become a lifeline for the people of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. “Today is the golden day in India’s infrastructure history. I am happy that the 14 km-long, state-of-the-art, world’s longest tunnel will be a lifeline for the people of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,” Gadkari said after the breakthrough was achieved in the tunnel. He said the Zojila tunnel approach would be completed by February 2028.…

Minimarg::  The Zojila tunnel connecting the Kashmir Valley to Ladakh took a crucial step towards completion on Tuesday with a blast breaking through the last 2.5 metres of the high-altitude infrastructure project that cuts through the Himalayas. With this, the two ends of the world’s longest single-tube bi-directional bypass, which will cut travel time from 1.5 hours to 15 minutes, have now been connected, officials said. “Breakthrough in the 2.5 metre distance in the tunnel has been successfully achieved,” an official said. The breakthrough has brought the decades-old dream of all-weather connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh closer to…

Leh, June 1: Responding to concerns raised by the Leh Apex Body (LAB) over the draft minutes of the May 22 Sub-Committee meeting with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ladakh Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra on Monday said the document shared with stakeholders was only a summary of the discussions and not a verbatim record, adding that any constitutional framework emerging from the ongoing dialogue process would ultimately have to be placed before Parliament. His remarks came after members of the Leh Apex Body stated during a press conference that certain points reflected in the draft minutes were never discussed…

Leh: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, has announced the constitution of the Ladakh Tourism Development Society (LTDS), a dedicated institutional mechanism aimed at promoting sustainable, responsible and community-centric tourism across the Union Territory. The newly constituted society will function as the central agency for planning, promotion, regulation, coordination and implementation of tourism-related initiatives in Ladakh. The initiative is designed to ensure that tourism growth in the region is aligned with environmental sustainability and the preservation of Ladakh’s unique cultural heritage. According to the Lieutenant Governor, LTDS will operate as an autonomous body and bring together government departments, tourism…

Leh: Former Chairman and Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC Leh, Adv. Tashi Gyalson, on Monday said that the much-awaited breakthrough of the strategically important Zojila Tunnel is likely to take place on June 9, marking a historic milestone in the region’s infrastructure development. Gyalson made the remarks after visiting the tunnel project site along with senior BJP leaders, including BJP Jammu and Kashmir State President Sat Sharma, General Secretary (Organisation) Ashok Koul, MLA Dr. D.K. Manyal, MLA Ajay Mahajan, Senior Vice President Haji Inayat Ali, former Executive Councillor Ghulam Mehdi, Mahila Morcha President Rinchen Dolkar, State Media Secretaries Rinchen Dolkar…

Leh: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday said he cautioned education reformer and activist Sonam Wangchuk against “weaving a misleading and provocative narrative” that vitiates public discourse during a candid exchange held amid the ongoing dialogue process between Ladakh leaders and the Union Home Ministry. Had a candid exchange with Shri Sonam Wangchuk and Smt. Gitanjali Angmo in the backdrop of the constructive dialogue in the Union Home Ministry. We agreed that an air of positivity, both in terms of development initiatives and political dialogue, needs to be maintained. I… pic.twitter.com/xuTJeW2Ejt — LG Ladakh (@lg_ladakh) May 26,…

Leh: In a major milestone for India’s clean energy ambitions, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has announced significant progress in the development of geothermal energy in Ladakh’s Puga Valley, including the successful drilling of India’s deepest geothermal well at a depth of 1,000 metres. The achievement, highlighted by ONGC in a social media post, comes as part of the corporation’s efforts to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for sustainable and alternative energy sources. The project is being developed in the remote Puga Valley of eastern Ladakh, located at an altitude of over 4,400 metres (14,000 feet), where extreme…