Under PM Modi’s leadership, Ladakh witnessing fast development: Home Minister Amit Shah
Srinagar, May 01 (KINS): Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said Ladakh has seen rapid development and major changes since becoming a Union Territory in 2019 under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing a gathering in Ladakh, Amit Shah said the region had suffered due to lack of development earlier, but important progress has now been made in roads, governance, education and connectivity.
He said Ladakh now has seven districts and 193 panchayats. Five new districts — Sham, Nubra, Changthang, Zanskar and Drass — were created after 2019. Shah also said local languages like Bhoti, Purgi and Urdu have been given importance in administration along with Hindi and English.
Talking about infrastructure, the Home Minister said Ladakh’s road network has increased from around 1,799 kilometres before 2019 to more than 4,000 kilometres now. The number of bridges has also risen from 19 to 72.
He added that mobile towers, helipads and snow-clearing machines have increased significantly, helping improve connectivity during winters. Shah said the Zojila Pass remained closed for only 19 days this year compared to 127 days earlier.
He also said work on the Zojila Tunnel is moving quickly, construction of the Shinkun La Tunnel has started, and a new civil airport is being developed in Ladakh.
In the education sector, Shah said the government has set up Sindhu Central University, smart classrooms, ICT labs, science labs and Atal Tinkering Labs. He also claimed that Ladakh achieved full literacy in 2024.
The Home Minister said around 98 per cent of households in Ladakh now have tap water connections under the Har Ghar Jal scheme. He added that investment in agriculture, horticulture and power infrastructure has also increased.
Home Minister Amit Shah said Ladakh’s annual budget has grown from nearly 1,000 crore before 2019 to around 6,000 crore now. He also announced the formation of the Sindhu Infrastructure Development Corporation to support industrial growth and strengthen self-reliance in the border region.(KINS)
