K.K. Pathak, Special Secretary, Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, and Head of the Centre’s Task Force on Deregulation and Compliance Reduction, along with Chief Secretary of Ladakh, Ashish Kundra, chaired a meeting on February 12 with senior officials and industry stakeholders to review the progress of compliance reduction and deregulation initiatives in the Union Territory. The meeting focused on promoting ease of doing business and boosting tourism in Ladakh.

Bhupesh Choudhary, Administrative Secretary, Cooperative Department, presented an overview of Phase I of Deregulation 1.0 (2025), covering 23 priority areas, including labour reforms, fire safety regulations, building byelaws, and the Ladakh Land Records Web GIS Portal. The roadmap and broader approach for Deregulation 2.0 were also discussed, along with key learnings and implementation challenges.

Stakeholders from the tourism, manufacturing, food processing, school education, and pashmina sectors raised various issues during the interaction. The tourism industry highlighted concerns related to foreign tourist permissions, Form C procedures, homestay registration, and water management systems. Manufacturing representatives from Kargil emphasized the need for industrial land and improved storage and distribution networks.

Food processing entrepreneurs sought support for customs clearances, land allocation for fruit export units, and the establishment of a dry port. Concerns related to the smart metering system were also raised. The pashmina sector advocated for GI tagging, authenticity verification, and the establishment of testing laboratories within Ladakh.

Chief Secretary Ashish Kundra reaffirmed the Administration’s commitment to promoting local industries through sustainable and region-specific strategies. He assured stakeholders that the issues raised were under active consideration and emphasized the development of small, efficient industrial units suited to Ladakh’s unique geographical and climatic conditions.

He also highlighted the Ladakh Tourism Portal as a facilitative platform for accessing homestay and hotel services and stressed the need for clarity regarding foreign tourist regulations.

In his remarks, K.K. Pathak reviewed issues related to SDP subsidies, land byelaws, industrial estates, transport infrastructure, and tourism policies, including homestay regulations. He directed departments to maintain accurate records of industrial units and further streamline compliance procedures.
Emphasizing that tourism remains a key priority, he highlighted its critical role as a major driver of Ladakh’s economy. He also called for stronger inter-departmental coordination and urged the administration to institutionalize reforms that simplify processes and eliminate procedural redundancies.

The meeting was attended by Ayushman Kumila, Deputy Director, Cabinet Secretariat; S. Rajesh, IFS, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (APCCF), UT of Ladakh; Bhupesh Choudhary, IAS, Secretary, Agriculture and Horticulture Department; Bhanu Prabha, IAS, Secretary, School & Higher Education Department; Sanjit Rodrigues, IAS, Secretary, Housing & Urban Development and Tourism Department; Rahul Sharma, Secretary, Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control; Moses Kunzang, Secretary, Sports & Youth Services; Mandeep Mittal, IFS, Member Secretary, LPCC; Mohd. Ashraf Bhatt, JKAS, Director, Industries & Commerce; Sunil Kaul, SIO, NIC; Tsewang Paljor, Chief Engineer, PDD; Phunchok Palden, Scientist (F) and Director, NIC; Dr. Tashi Thinles, Director, Health Department; along with representatives of industry bodies and entrepreneurs from Leh and Kargil.