Jammu: Lieutenant Governor Kavinder Gupta, who arrived in his native land Jammu for the first time after taking command of the Union Territory of Ladakh, received a grand welcome on Monday.
Talking to reporters here, Gupta said he will soon meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss Ladakh’s immense potential for development.
He also took a dig at senior Congress leader P Chidambaram for his statement that “homegrown terrorists” were behind the Pahalgam attack and said that it has become a habit of some parties to always give a clean chit to Pakistan.
Hundreds of people carrying the tricolour and shouting slogans of “Bharat mata ki jai” welcomed him at the Jammu airport.
“I will meet the Prime Minister and the Home Minister in a couple of days and bring to their attention the immense scope for development in Ladakh,” Gupta said.
He said the Union Territory has a lot of scope for development. “People there have many expectations from the Government of India, and continuous work is being done in that direction. We particularly want to promote tourism there. Many tourism projects are being prepared for the coming years.”
The lieutenant governor said that on Sunday alone, he laid foundation stone for works worth Rs 180 crore. “The Central government has not imposed any restrictions on us, but due to road and weather issues, the work period is short in Ladakh. We have requested the government that if any of our funds lapse due to time constraints, they should be carried forward and not declared lapsed,” he said.
On Zoji-la tunnel, he said that the two ends of the tunnel will be connected by March next year. “That route will open. After that, some time will be needed for the finishing work. Ladakh already has good roads, and we are working to further strengthen them,” he said.
Gupta said that apart from remote areas, the administration is trying to ensure that people get all necessary facilities and administrative coordination within their own regions. “Work is being done at the grassroots level to implement this properly,” he said.
Replying to a question on Chidambaram’s remarks questioning Pakistan’s involvement in Pahalgam attack, he said that some parties have a habit of giving a clean chit to Pakistan.
“Such parties have a habit of justifying them. Sometimes, it feels like these political parties and Pakistan talk in a similar language.”
The lieutenant governor reiterated that terrorists came from outside and said there is no doubt that locals may have supported them.
He said people should desist from politicising issues like Operation Sindoor and stand with the country instead.
Referring to his visit to the Kargil memorial to pay homage to martyrs, he said that Indian forces have done a commendable job and one should see the depth of emotions of those who sacrificed their lives. “Such politics on martyrs is not good for the country,” Gupta added.
