LEH: Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, on Thursday highlighted the Union Territory’s developmental transformation at the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog in New Delhi, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing the meeting, the Lieutenant Governor said Ladakh has witnessed accelerated development since becoming a Union Territory in 2019 and has recorded significant progress in infrastructure, tourism, education, renewable energy, water security, agriculture and governance.
The Governing Council of NITI Aayog serves as the apex platform for cooperative federalism, bringing together the Centre, States and Union Territories to discuss national priorities and development strategies.
Highlighting water security initiatives, Saxena said the administration has launched Project Him Sarovar under which small water reservoirs are being developed in 50 villages to harvest snowmelt and glacial meltwater.
He informed that five reservoirs have already been completed and the administration aims to create 100 such water bodies by next year.
The Lieutenant Governor also highlighted the innovative Rock Check Dam initiative under which eco-friendly dams are being constructed using locally available riverbed stones without cement, steel or concrete. The first such structure, inaugurated at Upshi in May 2026, has created a water storage capacity of over 40 million litres, while four additional projects are planned in the coming weeks.
Referring to tourism, Saxena said the sector continues to remain the backbone of Ladakh’s economy. He highlighted the recent exhibition of the Sacred Relics of Lord Buddha, which attracted more than 1.18 lakh visitors and helped position Ladakh as an emerging eco-spiritual tourism destination.
He also spoke about the promotion of astro-tourism through India’s first Dark Sky Sanctuary at Hanle and the growth of sports tourism through the Ladakh Sports Policy 2025, Khelo India Winter Games and development of modern ice hockey infrastructure.
On economic empowerment, the Lieutenant Governor informed the Council that an agreement with the Lulu Group for the export of 1,000 metric tonnes of apricots has opened new market opportunities for Ladakhi farmers.
He further noted that milk procurement at the modern Oma Dairy Plant has increased from 1,000 litres per day in 2024 to 8,500 litres per day at present.
Saxena also highlighted the establishment of a Pashmina Board aimed at promoting authentic Ladakhi Pashmina in national and international markets.
Speaking about environmental conservation, he referred to the Indus River Green Corridor Initiative under which extensive plantation drives are being carried out along the Indus River.
He reiterated the administration’s target of increasing Ladakh’s forest cover from less than one per cent to five per cent within the next two years and informed that efforts are underway to rejuvenate nearly 800 acres of barren land in Leh through utilisation of excess freshwater from the Igoo-Phey Canal.
On border area development, the Lieutenant Governor said work has commenced on developing Chumur as Ladakh’s first Model Border Village under the Vibrant Village Programme.
He also informed the Council about the preparation of Ladakh’s first comprehensive Master Plan in collaboration with the School of Planning and Architecture to ensure planned and sustainable urban development.
Highlighting governance reforms, Saxena said the administration has launched Ladakh’s first Unified Ease of Doing Business Portal, providing 23 online services across 13 departments and simplifying procedures through digitisation.
Referring to tourism sector reforms and deregulation measures, he informed that tourist arrivals in Ladakh between January and May 2026 increased by nearly 44 per cent compared to the corresponding period last year, while tourist arrivals during May 2026 alone registered a growth of 121 per cent.
The Lieutenant Governor said the administration remains committed to building an environmentally sustainable, economically vibrant and socially inclusive Ladakh through focused development initiatives and citizen-centric governance.
