Deputy Commissioner, Leh, Santosh Sukhadeve, held a follow-up meeting on February 11 to review the progress of the proposals submitted under Vibrant Villages and Saturation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes in the villages of Leh district. The meeting was attended by Councillors representing Tangtse, Chuchul, Nyoma, Korzok, Kungyam constituencies, and Nominated Councillor for Changthang. Additionally, Programme Officer from ICDS, the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Education Officer, Assistant Commissioner for Development, Chief Animal Husbandry Officer, District Youth Services & Sports Officer, District Social Welfare Officer, Assistant Director of CA&CS, and Lead Bank Manager from SBI Leh were present.
The Deputy Commissioner took stock of the status of the 436 projects within the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the pending projects awaiting approval for Vibrant Villages initiatives. He expressed satisfaction over the timely completion of some of the projects, such as the construction of an Ice Hockey rink at Rongo Anley, a solarized half-kitchen for Self Help Groups at Rongo Anley, a mini-indoor stadium for High School Chumathang, a First Aid center at Chushul, and an AWC Centre at Dungti. He also appreciated the efforts of the concerned departments and agencies in implementing these projects.
He further directed the departments to achieve 100% saturation of Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) in the villages covered under Vibrant Villages. He said that these schemes are aimed at improving the quality of life and providing basic amenities to the rural population. He urged the departments to ensure the inclusion of all eligible beneficiaries and to organize awareness camps and events to disseminate information about the schemes.
The Deputy Commissioner also discussed the future plans and proposals under Vibrant Villages, which is a flagship programme of the Union Territory of Ladakh to develop the border villages on the northern border. He said that the programme envisages focused interventions in 13 thematic areas, such as Livelihood Generation, Skill Development, Housing, Village Infrastructure, Road Connectivity, Community infrastructure, Tourism, Off-Grid Electricity, Eco-System Regeneration, Telecom & Internet connectivity, Television connectivity, IT based common services centres, financial inclusion and cooperatives. He said that the programme aims to make the villages vibrant, self-reliant and resilient.
He sought the suggestions and feedback of the Councillors and the representatives of the Indian Army, ITBP, BRO and NHPC, who assured their full cooperation and support in developing the border villages as envisaged in the Vibrant Village Programme. He also asked the CPO, Leh, to prepare a comprehensive action plan for each village, based on the local needs and resources, and to monitor the progress of the programme regularly. He said that the Vibrant Village Programme is a priority of the UT Administration and the Central Government, and that it will transform the lives of the people living in the border areas.
