ONGC Energy Centre’s Director General & CMD NDFDC call on Hon’ble Lt Governor Brig (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd).

Leh, June 14, 2024: A delegation from Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) Energy Centre led by its Director General, Shri Ravi, called on the Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd), at the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat. Commissioner/Secretary to the HLG, Shri L Franklin, IAS, was also present in the meeting.
Shri Ravi apprised the HLG of the 1MW Geothermal project being implemented by ONGC Energy Centre in Puga, Changthang on a pilot basis. He informed the HLG that the geothermal project at Puga is the first of its kind in India. He also informed that geothermal is green and clean energy which is not affected by the weather.
Shri Ravi informed about the plan to drill two wells up to 1,000 metres- one for the producer and the other for the injector- to utilise the geothermal energy. He also informed the plans to conduct a study to check if the hot spring is being recharged by glacial water to ensure that it remains a perennial source of energy. He further informed about the plan to bring equipment at the earliest to complete the project work. Shri Ravi expressed gratitude to the UT Administration for its cooperation in the smooth conduct of the pilot project work.
The HLG inquired about the implications & cost of the project and the impact of the project on the groundwater table. He appreciated ONGC Energy Centre for its work and hoped that the project would help in providing uninterrupted power supply to the people of Changthang and Ladakh.
Chairman-cum-Managing Director, National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC), Shri Naveen Shah, called on the HLG at the Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat. Commissioner/Secretary to the HLG, Shri L Franklin, IAS, was also present in the meeting.
Shri Naveen informed the HLG about the organisation which is a Central Public Sector Undertaking under the aegis of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan), Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, GoI. He also informed that NDFDC functions as an apex institution for channelising funds for promoting economic development activities and self-employment ventures for the benefit of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) through the state channelising agencies (SCAs) nominated by the respective State/UT Government and partner Banks. He further informed about two flagship schemes of NDFDC- Divyangjan Swavalamban Yojana (DSY) which is individual-centric and Vishesh Microfinance Yojana (VMY), which is for Self Help Groups /joint liability groups.
Shri Shah informed the HLG about the plan to empanel PAGIR (People’s Action Group for Inclusion and Rights)-an organisation working in Ladakh for the benefit of persons with disabilities- under PM Daksh Yojana to enable them to provide training to improve the competency levels of its target group comprising members of Scheduled Castes communities and the poorer section of the other backward classes (OBCs) Communities/ sanitation workers.
The HLG appreciated NDFDC for its noble work and extended all possible cooperation from the concerned departments/officials for the benefit of PwDs in Ladakh.