Hon’ble Lt Governor Brig (Dr) BD Mishra (retd) reviews winter stocking preparedness.

Hon’ble Lt Governor Brig (Dr) BD Mishra (retd) reviews winter stocking preparedness
Emphasises on ensuring adequate stocking of essential commodities, keeping drinking water taps functional in winter & protection of food supplies from pilferage and damage

Leh, Nov 17, 2023: The Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Brigadier (Dr) BD Mishra (Retd) held a meeting virtually to review the winter stocking preparedness with Advisor Ladakh, concerned Departmental Secretaries and Head of Departments.
At the outset, the HLG inquired about the stocking of construction material in case the weather improves after the end of the winter months and people decide to start construction work. He also emphasised the need to sensitise the public to forego the plan to start construction work at the fag end of winter and wait for the weather to improve and also for the opening of the Leh-Manali National Highway for the supply of construction materials.
Heads of Food Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs Department, Power Development Department, Health and Medical Education Department, Animal, Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries Department, Forest Department and Mechanical Division and representatives from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) apprised the HLG of the stocking of essential commodities such as rice, wheat, sugar, kerosene oil, poles, conductors, transformer oil, medicines, petrol, diesel, LPG cylinders, aviation turbine fuel (ATF), eggs, fish seed, medicines for animals, poultry birds, day-old chicks, firewood, hard coke, etc for the winter months as per their capacities along with the supply of essential commodities to nearest sub-divisions and blocks, particularly remote areas such as Zanskar and Changthang, to make these essential commodities available to the citizens of Ladakh in the winter months.
The purchase of spare parts from the same company for the DG set, spare parts for snow-cutting machines and resolving the visa issue of technicians to rectify the pashmina dehairing machine were discussed in the meeting.
The HLG inquired if adequate stocking of essential commodities has been done to ensure that it lasts till the Srinagar-Leh and Manali-Leh National Highways are reopened. He also inquired about the stocking of essential commodities in remote and far-off areas such as Zanskar and Changthang. He also inquired about the progress of distributing pashmina kid shelters to beneficiaries from Changthang along with the distribution of feed, milk replacers, etc. He instructed Advisor to the HLG to monitor and review the progress of stocking of essential commodities on a weekly basis.
The HLG instructed that there should not be any pilferage of food supplies or damage of essential food supplies by snow and rodents and asked the concerned head of the department to sensitise the employees to avoid such damage.
Instructing that telecommunication networks and drinking water taps should remain functional in the winter months, the HLG highlighted the need to take countermeasures to stop freezing of taps in the winter months for the ease and convenience of the citizens of Ladakh, especially those living in remote areas of Ladakh. He inquired about the installation of mobile towers in uncovered areas of Ladakh by BSNL and Jio, the need for evacuation in case of emergencies in winter months, the appointment of Liaison Officers to take care of the situation in case passengers from Ladakh are stranded in the winter, the progress of tendering process for helicopter services in Ladakh and the update on procurement of MRI machine for District Hospital in Kargil, etc.
Advisor to HLG, Dr Pawan Kotwal, IAS; ADGP Ladakh, Dr SD Singh Jamwal, IPS; Secretary to HLG, Shri Ravinder Kumar, IAS; Secretary, Shri Yetindra Maralkar, IAS; Deputy Commissioner, Kargil, Shri Shrikant Suse, IAS; Head of Departments (HODs) and other concerned government officials were present in the meeting.