Addressing the foundation day celebrations of the Union Territory in Leh, she said Ladakh has to be taken forward on the path of development while preserving its natural beauty and maintaining the distinct identity of its people
President Droupadi Murmu highlighted the importance of maintaining cleanliness and promoting sustainable and responsible tourism in Ladakh. She made these remarks during the foundation day celebrations of the Union Territory (UT) in Leh, where she emphasised the need to develop Ladakh while preserving its natural beauty and the unique identity of its people.
President Murmu expressed her satisfaction with the focus on infrastructure development to enhance connectivity in Ladakh. She noted the implementation of various new policies that have led to economic progress, particularly in the field of tourism. However, she stressed that ensuring the cleanliness of the region is a collective priority, and the focus should be on sustainable and responsible tourism.
During her speech, Murmu shared her happiness at visiting Ladakh on the foundation day of the UT, which became a Union Territory on October 31, 2019. She acknowledged the rapid multidimensional development in Ladakh and commended the people of the UT for their progress.
President Murmu also praised the Autonomous Hill Development Councils of Leh and Kargil for strengthening grassroots democracy and taking meaningful steps to promote youth employment in Ladakh. She highlighted the substantial increase in budget provisions for Ladakh by the central government over the past four years as a demonstration of the government's commitment to the region's development.
She mentioned that several initiatives have been launched to transform Ladakh into a carbon-neutral region, including efforts by public sector undertakings to develop green energy. Notably, the NTPC is establishing the world's first high-altitude green hydrogen fueling station in Leh.
Additionally, the central government has approved the Green Energy Corridor Project in Ladakh, which aims to connect renewable energy projects with a capacity of 13,000 MW to the Power Grid through an inter-state transmission system.
President Murmu concluded by highlighting Ladakh's leading position in India regarding economic, environmental, and human development as the country strives to become a developed nation by 2047.