Better connectivity, more resources are benefiting Ladakh: PM Modi

New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday emphasised how better connectivity and abundant resources being provided to Ladakh are benefiting the union territory.

PM Modi’s statement came in response to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s post on X after she returned from an official visit to Ladakh as part of the Centre’s outreach to implement development schemes in the remote Himalayan region.

The Prime Minister's Office said: "Union Minister Niramala Sitharaman writes how better connectivity and the abundant resources being made available to Ladakh are benefitting the Union territory."

"The Tulku (administrative head) of the Hemis monastery, who hailed from a far-off village near Chushul town, shared with me that due to better connectivity the travel time to his village has reduced from 6 hours a few years ago to 2 hours now. It is evident everywhere how the Union territory of Ladakh is benefiting from the abundant resources being made available to them," FM Sitharaman said.

The Finance Minister also wrote in an article that what struck her most in Ladakh were the extraordinary vibrant colours and the sense of calm.

“A few days ago, I returned from an official tour to the Union Territory of Ladakh as part of the Government of India's ‘Vibrant Village’ initiative. The aim of the tour was to visit the village of Hanle, nestled at an altitude of 14,700 feet, to understand the specific challenges that people face in this border village. The first thing one observes and feels upon landing in Ladakh is its unique landscape - the rugged hills, valleys, vast grasslands and daunting wilderness are breathtaking,” the Finance Minister wrote.

FM Sitharaman inaugurated several development projects in Ladakh during her four-day visit to the union territory.

She said this reaffirms the Government of India's commitment to inclusive growth and infrastructure development in Ladakh.

The Finance Minister also interacted with the officials of the UT administration. On the second day of her visit, she addressed an audience during the credit outreach programme in Leh and handed over sanction letters from banks to beneficiaries under various Central government schemes.

During the credit outreach, loans worth Rs 5.13 crore were disbursed to beneficiaries under different schemes, including PM MUDRA, PM Vishwakarma, PMEGP, PM Micro Food Processing Enterprises Schemeand Joint Liability Group loans.

--IANS

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