Kargil, Dec 20: Administrative Secretary, Agriculture, Horticulture, Cooperatives, and Transport, Bupesh Chaudhary and Administrative Secretary, Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, IT and Disaster Management, Shashanka Ala, today visited Drass Sub-Division as part four-day official tour of Kargil district.
Administrative Secretaries were accompanied by Tsewang Punchok, Director of Horticulture; Razia Banoo, Assistant Commissioner Development (RDD); Zakir Hussain, Deputy Registrar Cooperatives; Mohd Zafar, Chief Horticulture Officer; Ashiq Hussain Basharat, Chief Agriculture Officer; Khadim Hussain, ARTO; and Vishal Atri, SDM Drass, along with other Block Officers of the sub-division.
The visit began with a review of Cooperative Supermarket in Kargil Bazaar. Bhupesh Chaudhary urged the Deputy Registrar of Cooperatives to ensure availability of products from local farmers and artisans at these stores. He also encouraged members of cooperative societies to focus on increasing their annual profits.
He also instructed the concerned departments to further upgrade the facilities to better serve the public and foster growth in the cooperative sector.
The Administrative Secretaries then visited the Apricot Processing Centre at Kharul Hardass where they assessed the progress of operations and discussed strategies for enhancing efficiency of the unit.
Bhupesh Chaudhary specifically directed the Executive Engineer, PWD, to expedite the completion of ongoing construction projects, ensuring that the cafeteria and other facilities are operational in time for the upcoming season.
Later, they paid tribute to the martyrs and heroes of the 1999 Kargil War at the War Memorial in Drass, reflecting on the sacrifices made for the nation.
The visit continued with an inspection of Potato Farm in Drass, where the Chief Agriculture Officer briefed the Secretaries about the ongoing departmental activities and the farm’s contribution to promoting cash crop cultivation in the region.
The Administrative Secretary directed agriculture officers to prioritize protected cultivation and encourage farmers to take advantage of Ladakh Greenhouse Scheme. SDM Drass, Vishal Atri, assured the department of full cooperation in resolving any land-related challenges.
Administrative Secretary, Rural Development, Panchayat Raj, IT and Disaster Management, Shashanka Ala visited the newly constructed Directorate of RD at Kargil building constructed by CPWD and noted major engineering deficiencies and directed the engineer on site to get them rectified within a month failing which she said it shall be reported to MHA for penal action. The building did not even have an entrance and there were visible cracks everywhere.
Administrative Secretary RD directed the ACD and BDO Drass to ensure that convergence of schemes is used to achieve maximum benefit of government schemes. She directed them to ensure that SHG groups and land development of horticulture and agriculture beneficiaries could be done through convergence as per extant rules.
This visit underscores the commitment of the Union Territory of Ladakh to driving development and promoting sustainable practices in agriculture, horticulture, and cooperatives, while also honoring the region’s rich history and contributions to the nation.
