SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to inaugurate a series of infrastructure projects in Ladakh through video conferencing on October 15, including the upgraded terminal at Leh airport and strategically important roads and bridges.
The ceremony will begin at 11 am from New Delhi, with Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena and senior officials and public representatives expected to attend the main function in Leh.
The upgraded terminal at Kushok Bakula Rimpochee Airport is expected to increase the facility’s capacity to handle up to 54 flights daily, compared with its existing capacity of around 18 flights, once fully operational. The expansion is intended to improve air connectivity to the high-altitude Union Territory and accommodate increased passenger movement.
Several road and bridge projects, largely constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), are also scheduled for inauguration. The infrastructure is expected to improve access to remote settlements, facilitate civilian movement and strengthen logistical connectivity for defence personnel deployed in strategically sensitive areas.
The improved road network is also expected to support tourism, local trade and the transportation of essential supplies, particularly in areas where difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions frequently affect movement.
Separate programmes will be held across all seven districts of Ladakh to mark the inauguration. Deputy Commissioners, Senior Superintendents of Police, representatives of socio-religious organisations and other prominent personalities are expected to participate in the district-level events.
Among those expected to attend the main ceremony in Leh are Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena, Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra, Ladakh Lok Sabha MP Mohammad Hanifa Jan and Chairman of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, Dr Mohammad Jaffer Akhoon, along with other senior officials and public representatives.
The infrastructure programme will coincide with a scheduled meeting in Leh between the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and representatives of the Leh Apex Body (LAB) and the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA).
The discussions are expected to address the demands raised by Ladakh’s representative groups, including the proposed creation of a Union Territory-level elected body with legislative, financial and executive powers, as well as issues concerning the implementation of relevant provisions of Article 371.
The meeting is expected to take place after the Prime Minister’s virtual inauguration programme, bringing infrastructure development and Ladakh’s pending political demands into focus on October 15.
