Author: The Dispatch Staff

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…

Leh: Ladakh is set to take a significant step towards clean energy generation with Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena approving the setting up of India’s first geothermal power project by the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation at Puga valley in Ladakh, at an altitude of over 14,000 feet. LG approved a five-year extension of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation for the construction of the country’s first geothermal power project, officials said. The project, to be developed at an altitude of over 14,000 feet in eastern Ladakh, aims to commercially harness geothermal energy as…

Leh: In a major development that could redefine Ladakh’s political future, the Centre on Friday moved closer to addressing some of the region’s most important demands after productive talks with representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) in New Delhi. The high-level meeting between officials of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ladakhi leaders and elected representatives ended with what participants described as a broad understanding on creating a governance structure tailored specifically for Ladakh’s unique administrative, cultural and strategic requirements. At the centre of the discussions was the proposal for a democratically elected…

Leh:  The Centre has approved inter-cadre deputation of Ladakh Police chief Mukesh Singh to Manipur, according to an official order. Singh is a 1996-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram, and Union Territories) cadre. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the inter-cadre deputation of Singh to Manipur for a period of three years as a special case in public interest, an order, dated May 21, by the Personnel Ministry said. He is likely to be appointed as Manipur Police chief, officials said. The vacancy was necessitated following the appointment of Manipur DGP Rajiv…

Leh: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)-led sub-committee meeting with representatives of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA) and Leh Apex Body (LAB) will be held as scheduled on May 22 in New Delhi, despite recent speculation over a possible deferment. Confirming the development to Indus Dispatch, Chief Secretary of Ladakh Ashish Kundra said the meeting “is still on 22nd,” indicating that the Centre’s dialogue process with Ladakh’s representative bodies remains on track. The clarification comes amid uncertainty following the resignation of senior leader and former Member of Parliament Thupstan Chhewang from the Leh Apex Body and the controversy linked to…

Leh: Drug addiction cases in Ladakh have shown a concerning rise, with 101 new cases reported over the past year and 237 follow-up cases currently under treatment, officials were informed during a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra. The meeting reviewed the status of drug addiction, rehabilitation measures, awareness initiatives, and enforcement actions across the Union Territory, with a focus on strengthening coordination between health institutions, police, education department, social welfare agencies, and civil society organisations. Consultant psychiatrist Padma Angmo informed the meeting that opioid-related cases are increasing in the region. She noted that while awareness programmes…

Ahmedabad: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, today addressed the graduating class of 2026 at the 25th Convocation of the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), Ahmedabad, where he urged young students to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to address modern-day challenges. In his address, the Lieutenant Governor emphasized the importance of creativity, innovation, and problem-solving skills in shaping the future of the Indian economy. He encouraged the young generation of entrepreneurs to make maximum use of technology and innovation to contribute to the ongoing restructuring and transformation of India’s economic landscape. Highlighting the role of institutional support in nurturing…

Leh: The Administration of the Union Territory of Ladakh has issued an order constituting the Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council under the provisions of the MSME Development Act, 2006, aimed at strengthening institutional support for micro and small enterprises across the region. As per Order No. 07–I&C of 2026 dated May 18, 2026, the Council has been formed under Sections 20 and 21 of the MSME Development Act, 2006, read with the Ladakh Micro and Small Enterprises Facilitation Council Rules, 2024. The Council will be chaired by the Director, Industries & Commerce, UT Ladakh, and will include the Convenor…