JAMMU, Jan 14: The Union Ministry of Finance has restored the Capex budget of both Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Ladakh including Leh and Kargil.
The demand for restoration of budget was vociferously projected by the UT Administration of Ladakh and Council Chairpersons with the Union Finance and Home Ministries.
Meanwhile, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Dr Pawan Kotwal chaired a meeting to review the expenditure under SDP/State Capex and to strategize the utilization of the additional Rs 400 crore budget released by the Ministry of Finance for the UT of Ladakh
Director of Finance Dr Safdar Ali gave a comprehensive presentation on budget estimates and revised budget estimates for the FY 2024-25. It was informed that the capital budget of the LAHDCs has been restored to Rs 344 crores each while reallocating the remaining funds as per the requirement of the different departments.
Kotwal emphasised on collective efforts of the officers for transparency, accountability, and efficiency in resource utilization, ensuring that every rupee spent contributes significantly to the holistic development of Ladakh. He directed the concerned officers to utilize funds in due time and clear the liability of the work done by various departments. He emphasized the importance of fiscal responsibility, timely execution, and the need for continuous collaboration to overcome any challenges that may arise during the execution phase.
The meeting was attended by the Administrative Secretary, Tourism & Culture Vikram Malik; Administrative Secretary, PWD, Micheal D’Souza; Administrative Secretary, FCS&CA Yetindara Maralkar; Administrative Secretary, Agriculture & Horticulture, Bhupesh Chaudhary; Administrative Secretary, RDD, Shashanka Ala; Secretary, Higher & School Education, Bhanu Prabha; Deputy Commissioner, Leh Santosh Sukhadeve; Deputy Commissioner Kargil Shrikant Suse; Head of the Departments and officials from the concerned departments.
