Kargil, Sep 2: Ladakh Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Wednesday said concerted efforts are underway to operationalise Kargil airport at the earliest, with the administration working to address the technical and other challenges involved.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK) here, he said a meeting was held on Tuesday with local leaders and other stakeholders including representatives from the Indian Air force and Airport Authority of India to discuss the operationalisation of the airport.
“There is a strong desire among all of us to make this airport operationlise as soon as possible. There are some difficulties and challenges, including issues related to land acquisition and certain technical issues. These need to be addressed as per the prescribed airport standards,” the LG said.
He said the administration is making every effort to resolve the pending issues in a comprehensive manner and make the airport functional at the earliest.
“This is also a long-standing expectation of the people of Kargil, and we are committed to addressing it,” Saxena said.
He said the inauguration of POPSK Kargil is an important step towards ensuring last-mile delivery of citizen-centric services in Ladakh.
“Today is a very important day for the people of Kargil. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to the people because the long-standing problem they were facing has finally been resolved, and the process of establishing this facility has been completed,” the LG said.
Saxena said the people living here and those coming from surrounding areas, particularly those who need to travel for various services, used to face a great deal of inconvenience. They often had to travel long distances, sometimes to Srinagar or elsewhere, which involved considerable time, effort and expense.
He expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Department of Posts for fulfilling the long-pending aspiration of the people of Kargil.
Saxena said that bringing essential services closer to citizens is central to the government’s vision of “Ease of Living”, particularly in the remote and geographically challenging regions such as Ladakh.
He expressed confidence that the new facility would provide people with fair, efficient, transparent and hassle-free passport services.
He also appreciated Union minister Kirti Vardhan Singh for visiting Kargil for the inauguration and for the support extended by the Ministry of External Affairs in establishing the POPSK.
