Amidst the ongoing tension with China, the government has sanctioned a sum of Rs 24.63 crore under the Border Area Development Programme (BADP) for villages along the Indo-China and Indo-Pakistan borders in Ladakh.

The core objective of BADP is to develop border villages situated along Indo-Pak and Indo-China borders with special focus on important sectors like education, health, agriculture, drinking water, handicraft, handloom, power, rural development, roads, and bridges, irrigation canals among others.

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It is worth mentioning that the Chinese military has been obstructing development of the border areas of Ladakh. They raise objections and try to create scare among the civilians on this side of the LAC whenever any development activity is undertaken.

A meeting of senior officers of the Ladakh administration was held on Monday to discuss the priorities for expenditure of the grants.

After going through each and every scheme, chief executive councillor (CEC) Gyal P Wangyal stressed the need for completion of BADP projects timely and directed executing agencies to ensure a maximum result in progress of BADP projects in close coordination with concerned councillors and added that the progress of BADP projects will be reviewed in the first week of September 2020.

Deputy commissioner Leh Sachin Kumar Vaishya asserted that developmental works in the border areas will be taken on priority and therefore stressed on the executing agencies for proper execution and to make every effort for completion of the projects in the same financial year.

The ECs and Councillors of border areas also gave inputs to make the BADP more result-oriented for the people living along the border. Heads of concerned departments gave a detailed account of the work-done report and the report of ongoing and future plan for completion of the projects.

Left demands release of J&K detainees

Leaders of five Left parties today demanded that all those detained in Jammu and Kashmir since August 2019 be released, full communications be restored in the former state and free movement of people allowed there.

In a joint statement, the Left leaders said that this was essential for both combating the Covid-19 pandemic effectively and upholding Constitutional guarantees on democratic rights and civil liberties, while providing relief to the beleaguered people.

The leaders said the 5 August marked one year of the abrogation of Article 370, the dissolving of the State of Jammu and Kashmir, and “the caging of the people of J&K.”

Last year, the Modi Government made many tall promises about what this move would accomplish and how it would benefit India and the people of J&K, the leader said.

But there were warnings also from many that “the Modi regime’s tyranny in Kashmir would soon be a blueprint for the whole of India.

A year later, the Government’s promises stand exposed, betraying the people of J&K who continue to be caged and silenced,” the leaders said.

The challenges to the abrogation of Article 370 and 35(A) of the Indian Constitution are still pending before the Supreme Court.