Ladakh needs further focus on health, education, employment: Sajad Kargili

Kargil, July 26: Prominent socio-political activist from Kargil Sajad Hussain Kargili on Friday addressed several key issues in Ladakh following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the Drass War Memorial to commemorate Kargil Vijay Diwas.

Kargili said that during his speech, the Prime Minister highlighted the government’s increased budget allocation for Ladakh, noting improvements in road infrastructure, electricity, and employment in the region. While Sajjad Kargili acknowledged these advancements, he emphasised that significant issues in the education, health, and employment sectors still require urgent attention. He expressed concerns over the undefined status of the University of Ladakh, which currently operates as neither a state university nor a central university. He urged the government to declare it a state university to better serve the educational needs of Ladakh's youth. "This ambiguity hampers the university's ability to fully cater to the aspirations and educational requirements of our students," he stated.

Sajad Kargili also pointed out the absence of key educational institutions in Ladakh, such as an agricultural university, a medical college, and an Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). "The lack of these institutions is a significant barrier to the academic and professional growth of Ladakhi students. Establishing these institutions would provide the youth with better opportunities and prevent the need to move to other states for higher education," he argued. In addition to educational challenges, Kargili highlighted the pressing need for improvements in the health sector. He called for better healthcare facilities and services to ensure that the people of Ladakh have access to quality medical care. "Our health infrastructure needs a substantial upgrade to meet the growing needs of our population," Kargali said.

He said that there is a strong demand for degree colleges in both densely populated areas like Sankoo and remote regions such as Turtuk. “ While road connectivity has improved, some crucial roads still need to be developed, such as Drass-Gurez, Pahalgam-Parkachik, and Turtuk-Hanu, to enhance accessibility and support economic growth,” Kargili said. He added that the air connectivity in Kargil was a promise made by the BJP in 2019 and announced under the Udaan scheme, yet this issue remains unresolved. “We call upon the government to expedite efforts to address this matter. The lack of recruitment for gazetted posts over the past five years is alarming. Although the government agreed to recruit Ladakh service cadres through the JKPSC, this has not yet been implemented. We urge the government to prioritise recruitment to address the critical unemployment rate in the region. We hope that the Hon’ble Prime Minister will consider these pressing issues and take decisive action to ensure the sustainable development of Ladakh,” Kargili added.