Ministry of Finance restores capital budget for Ladakh's LAHDCs

Leh, Jan 13: Dr Pawan Kotwal, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, chaired a meeting at the UT Secretariat Conference Hall to review expenditure under SDP/State Capex and strategise the utilisation of an additional Rs 400 crore budget released by the Ministry of Finance for the Union Territory of Ladakh.

During the meeting, Director of Finance Dr. Safdar Ali presented a comprehensive overview of budget estimates and revised budget estimates for FY 2024-25. He announced that the capital budget for each Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) has been restored to Rs 344 crore, with the remaining funds reallocated according to departmental requirements.

Dr Kotwal stressed the importance of collective efforts among officers to ensure transparency, accountability, and efficient resource utilization. He directed officers to utilise funds within stipulated timeframes and clear pending departmental work liabilities. The Advisor also emphasized fiscal responsibility, timely execution, and sustained interdepartmental collaboration to address potential challenges during implementation.

The meeting was attended by Vikram Singh Malik, Administrative Secretary, Tourism & Culture; Michael D'Souza, Administrative Secretary, PWD; Yetindra Maralkar, Administrative Secretary, FCS&CA; Bhupesh Chaudhary, Administrative Secretary, Agriculture & Horticulture; Shashanka Ala, Administrative Secretary, RDD; Bhanu Prabha, Secretary, Higher & School Education; Santosh Sukhadeve, Deputy Commissioner, Leh; Shrikant Suse, Deputy Commissioner, Kargil; along with department heads and other concerned officials.